Whose Bones Are Those?

Inventive and stylish, informative and whimsical, this conceptual picture book from a noted cut-paper artist invites young readers to “guess the animal” by perusing its bones.

Whose bones? A scattering of tiny bones, spread across a vivid background, seem to offer no clues. But turn the page and the bones have elegantly come together, revealing the form of a snake or a lion, a crocodile or an elephant, a flamingo or even a whale. Every vibrant spread of this fascinating book features the skeleton—and also a stylized representation—of a different animal. Even the youngest of readers are invited to scrutinize the visual clues to figure out whose bones are portrayed in this fascinating introduction to vertebrates.Takeuchi’s colors are bold and bright. . . Children will enjoy using this charming book both as a way to learn about animals and to play the matching and guessing game. A whimsical reminder that all animals—including humans—are just a heap of bones!
—Kirkus Reviews

An unusual and delightful sort of matching game for young readers. . . It’s a visually striking book, in which the page-turns are everything, and an entertaining guessing game for very young children, especially those first learning about the skeletal system and that, underneath all the trappings, many creatures are a heap of bones.
—Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Colorful, bold type; brightly saturated backgrounds; and simple, clean design set the tone for a concept book that doubles as a surprisingly joyous celebration of bones. . . . A strong choice for curious young scientists.
—The Horn Book

This stunning execution of a simple idea by cut-paper artist Chihiro Takeuchi makes the subject — bones — feel wondrous rather than gory. . . . The cheerful illustrations invite young readers to consider what’s under the skin of all sorts of vertebrates, and ends with a collection of fun facts for the curious.
—The Virginian Pilot

A sweet and informative picture book for young animal lovers to learn more about the different body structures of different species.
—School Library JournalChihiro Takeuchi is a renowned cut-paper artist and the creator of several books, including Paper Peek: Colors, Paper Peek: Animals, and Paper Peek: Alphabet. She lives in Osaka, Japan.