Book Review - bees, snails, & peacock tails

1. Bibliography
Franco, Betsy. 2008. Bees, snails, & peacock tails. Ill. Steve Jenkins. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN 978-1-4169-0386-4. 

2. Plot Summary
The introduction of shapes and patterns that are found in nature is paired with simple poetry that tells the entire story.  From the hexagons found in a bee's hive to a spiral found on a snail shell this beautiful picture poetry book is well done. In a highly visual format of shape poems, this collection is appealing for young children.

3. Critical Analysis
 The rhyming verse is intricately and artfully placed on and around the illustrations which draw the reader into the subject presented.  The simple, readable format of this cross-curricular work perfectly combines poetry, math concepts, and natural science.  Varied rhythm, meter, and rhyme create an unpredictable text that is enjoyable for young children. The use of living creatures to provide examples of hexagons, symmetry, and diamond shaped patterns brings students in with a subject matter children are drawn to. The text also is used to illustrate the shapes. "The beautiful spirals on top shell snails are miniature castles with tiny details.  The spirals go round, getting wider and wider till you get to the snail - the shell's insider!" These sentences are printed in a spiral shape around a shell in the center of the page to give a concrete visual of the concept. Surprising vocabulary is used which will expand young elementary school children's language.  "When foraging ant leaves a scent on the ground..."

The beautiful, colorful cut paper collage style illustrations are a vivid foundation for the text.  The picture and print work together seamlessly and one would be lacking without the other.  The last two pages of text provide something similar to a picture glossary that gives facts about each creature included in the text. All in all, this book makes for a fun read for introducing basic concepts of color and shapes and how they exist in the world around us. 

4. Review Excerpts
2008 Booklist Starred: "winning introduction to the patterns and shapes found in the natural world"

2008 Kirkus Review: "Rhymes and stunning illustrations convey the patterns and shapes"  
 
5. Connections
Pair this book with a book about geometry and then provide geometric shapes for students to explore and identify.

Locate other Betsy Franco and Steve Jenkins books, such as Birdsongs, and read to compare and contrast the works.