Steve Jenkins’s visually arresting picture book offers children the opportunity to consider size and relationships with collage illustrations that show 18 creatures from the natural world in whole or in part. Only the head (sans ears) of the 13-foot brown bear is pictured across one page spread; another shows just the 4-inch tooth of a 21-foot great white shark. Clear the decks and get out the tape measures and paper. Actual Size also offers a lesson in the perils of bookmaking—the gutter between the pages (on at least some copies) swallows up to an inch of two of the pictured creatures whose measurements fit on the page spread. While it’s unfortunate, it doesn’t detract from the overall impact or potential of the dynamic book. (Ages 4–9)

How big is a crocodile? What about a tiger, or the world’s largest spider? Can you imagine a tongue that is two feet long or an eye that’s bigger than your head? Sometimes facts and figures don’t tell the whole story. Sometimes you need to see things for yourself—at their actual size.