Animals by the Numbers: A Book of Animal Infographics by Steve Jenkins (review)

Throughout his many early biology titles Jenkins has demonstrated a knack for visually conveying information, so it’s not surprising that he’s produced a title devoted entirely to the medium of infographics. Twenty-one spreads or spread sequences treat aspects of the animal world ranging from classification (a pie chart breaks down how many species exist in various subcategories of animal—the winner being insects) to physical talents (a chart compares not only the distance several species can jump but also compares that distance to their body size—so the winner there is also an insect) to deadliness to humans (the graphic documents both number of deaths and cause, including the spread of disease, so the winner is—yes, again—an insect). The result is an eminently browsable overview with all the clickbait appeal of websites and paperbacks with redeployed content but with some thoughtful implications about animals (for instance, sharks are bush-league contenders in the threat to humans category). The art includes Jenkins’ familiar and precise cut-paper collages, plus data visualizations such as creative bar charts, a lively flow chart, and a node-link diagram, all of which gives the book additional value as a near-painless introduction to data representation. Animal-loving kids, sensationalism-loving kids, and facts-loving kids will be surprised to find common ground here.