Darrin Lunde has worked as a mammalogist at the American Museum of
Natural History and at the Smithsonian Institute. His work has
brought him into contact with all kinds of animals, big and small,
throughout the remote forests of South America, Africa, and Asia
where he camped for months at a time to survey species diversity
and to discover new species. He is the author ofHello, Bumblebee
Bat, a Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor Book,After the Kill, and
other books about animals. He lives in Washington, DC.
Kelsey is an illustrator and lover of all things nature. Her work
centers around an array of natural history subjects, often inspired
by the myriad ways humans connect with and study the natural world.
She received her first scat identification book around the age of
10 and loved that it helped her learn to identify the natural world
around her.Her gouache illustrations focus on natural history
subjects like taxonomy, biodiversity, and taxidermy, as well as
related subjects like astronomy and the ways humans relate to the
natural world. Her first book as an author,What We See in the
Stars- An Illustrated Tour of the Night Sky, came out in Fall
2017.She lives in Minneapolis with her husband, Nick, and their two
cats, Jamie and Fiona.
Who goes there? Readers must guess which creatures left their
distinctive tracks behind in this fact-filled book. On the verso
page of each spread, the question reads, "Whose footprint is that?"
and a clue to the maker of the print appears with a snippet of its
anatomy—e.g., snout, ears, tail, feather, even, in one case, a
section of a body. The recto page displays the print or prints with
a sentence or two explaining how the tracks were produced. A page
turn yields another spread and the answer: a portrait of the
mystery animal and some interesting facts about its feet. A very
ancient track maker is included, too. A tantalizing puzzle
challenges kids at the end: "Can an animal change its footprints?"
Adult readers would do well to let a few moments elapse while
children ponder responses before they turn the page and reveal the
answer—and another brainteaser. This charmer will hold young
children's interest and will succeed one-on-one or as a group
read-aloud. It will help develop vocabulary as youngsters learn new
words including "wallaroo" and "slithering." The gouache
illustrations are appealing. Tracks are large enough to be seen
well (and, possibly, traced with little fingers), and their makers
are portrayed along with glimpses into their habitats, with furry,
feathered, and scaly charms charmingly intact. Kids will make
tracks to this one—and likely step up for repeat visits.
—Kirkus Reviews
Following the format of Whose Poop Is THAT? (rev. 3/17), Lunde
poses the title question seven times about seven different animals
in a series of four-page sequences, inviting readers to guess the
makers of various footprints and impressions. Each print, rendered
in shades of black and brown on a white background, is centered
prominently on the right-hand page. A clue for identification comes
via the accompanying text, which emphasizes the motions or actions
employed to produce the print (“It was made by running on snow”;
“It was made by standing in soft mud”). Additional hints to each
creature’s identity are found on left-hand pages, with glimpses of
an ear, tail, nose, etc., edging into the picture. For the reveal,
illustrations of mountain goats, wallaroos, snowshoe hares, snakes,
flamingos, chimpanzees, and even a dinosaur are accompanied by
information about what part of them made the prints (variously:
feet, bodies, knuckles) and the ways their physiologies allow the
animals to move or balance; the seven examples are carefully chosen
to represent the relationships between morphology and function. The
book ends with a look at the various prints people can make with
their footwear, connecting familiar human experiences with their
animal equivalents.
—The Horn Book
Lunde (Whose Poop Is That?, 2017) turns from scat to feet in this
similarly formatted picture book. Introducing each of
the seven animals are the recurring question (“Whose footprint is
that?”), a visual hint featuring part of the animal, black
footprints set against a white background (for easier examination),
and a clue about how the footprint was made. Turning the page
reveals such animals as a mountain goat, wallaroo, or snowshoe
hare, all depicted in their natural settings in textured, gouache
paintings. A few sentences of simple text also describe how
the animal moves. For instance, a chimpanzee stands on its
hind feet but uses finger knuckles for balance when it moves.
Although the layout repeats for each animal, there are still
plenty of “footprint” surprises, including a snake’s slithering
pattern, made without feet, and a dinosaur’s fossilized print.
But can an animal change its footprint? A final interactive spread
lets children match ice skates, hiking boots, and other foot
gear to their corresponding footprints. Finally,
footnotes readers will enjoy!
—Booklist
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