Animal Camouflage: A Search and Find Activity Book: (find and learn about 77 animals in seven regions around the world. For young naturalists ages 6-9) - Hardcover

Sara Dennis is a UK-based artist whose paper-cut art graces books for children and adults, as well as tableware and watch faces. Her work for Animal Camouflage earned her the platinum award in the 2016 Junior Design Award for Best Emerging Children's Illustrator.

Sam Hutchinson is publisher at b small publishing in London and the author of ten children's books.

Sam Hutchinson is the publisher of b small publishing in London and the author of ten children's books.

Gr 2–4—Children who enjoy looking for things lurking in crowded settings à la "Where's Waldo?" might enjoy searching for the creatures hiding in the intricate cut-paper illustrations of this "Search and Find" book. But is the book really about "animal camouflage," as the title suggests? Not quite. Students are tasked with finding the selected creatures using the negative white space, rather than spotting actual camouflage. (If the paper, for example, is green, then the animals are also green; what makes them visible is that the cut-away pieces are white, which provides a contrast that makes the animals and plants recognizable.) While the artwork is impressive, the text is quite brief. Seven regions are introduced, animals are presented, and readers are asked to spot them. There are no maps and very little information is provided overall. VERDICT An artful take on the "Search and Find" genre for wherever game books are popular.—Myra Zarnowski, City University of New York