Janet Perry Marshall

In my opinion, this is a good book. First, the illustrations enhance the story. Each animal photographed in the story is illustrated on two pages. For example, on one page, the text says, “I zoomed in on these dots.” The illustration on this page is a zoomed in image that only shows blue and white dots on a bright, red animal. Because only part of the animal is shown, readers are curious to find out what the animal is, so they are eager to keep reading. On the next page, the text says, “And a school of fish stared back at me.” The illustration on this page is of a spotted red fish and numerous small orange fish. The spotted red fish matches the close up illustration on the previous page, so readers are finally able to see that this mystery animal is a fish. Simple and bold colors are used for the illustrations which helps make them stand out. Second, the writing is engaging. The book uses onomatopoeia throughout the story. Some examples include “Splash,” “Whoosh,” Swoosh,” and “Chomp!” Using onomatopoeia throughout the book makes the story more interesting and engaging. When reading these words, readers can simultaneously hear the sound they make. The big idea of this story is to show the wonders of a camera. Cameras can be used to capture a close-up image of any animal so that viewers’ have to make guesses on what the animal is. Also, using cameras is a great way to create pieces of art anywhere you go.… (mere)