Blink! (Imagine This!) by Doe Boyle ill by Adèle Leyris
Blink! invites readers to take an up-close examination of a variety of animals’ eyes. Consider these facts: The bay scallop has over sixty eyes. A dragonfly eye is composed of thousands of lenses. Yellow-glowing "eyeshine" behind the bullfrog's eyes helps it see at night. A whirligig beetle eye splits into two different parts for separately seeing above and below water. Boyle's lyrical verse introduces the eyes of specific animals. Leyris’ larger-than-life illustrations reveal anatomical details. Additional information appears within surrounding animal silhouettes. |
| Bold graphic design features the animal shapes against a solid contrasting color background. Leyris' richly hued images span the gutter, filling the entire two-page spread. Back matter contains a diagram of the human eye and description of "How Your Eyes Work," an Author's Note, a list of Resources, and a Glossary. |
Dragonfly by Aimèe M. Bissonette ill by Catherine Pearson
The evolution, developmental stages, appearance, and behavior of this species are presented in detail. Did you know that a Dragonfly will molt up to seventeen times before reaching adulthood or that dragonflies can fly up or down, backward, forward, and even upside down? Fascinating! This first person narrative is delivered via the species’ collective voice. The text shifts to third person for the informational bits scattered across each two-page spread. Bissonette introduces readers to precise terminology. Illustrations, descriptions, and some context clues assist readers with understanding these terms: naiads, nymphs, predators, molting, aviators, external, iridescent. |
| Pearson's jewel tone full-page illustrations are primarily in complementary shades of purple, blue and gold. Bold shapes, particularly the wings and eyes have a prismatic quality. Back matter includes an Author's Note which provides additional information, including the insect's environmental impact. Resources page lists books for children and adults as well as sources for activities. |