Time to Shine: Celebrating the World’s Iridescent Animals

By: Karen Jameson

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Synopsis: Let yourself be dazzled by creatures around the world in this brilliant nonfiction picture book about iridescence. Have you ever noticed the rainbow-like shimmer on certain bird feathers, insect bodies and animal scales? This effect, called iridescence, changes depending on the angle from which its viewed, and animals across the globe use the effect to both blend in and stand out. In playful rhyming couplets, Time to Shine takes a closer look at these creatures and their sparkly “clothes,” from the mallard duck’s shining green flying “cap,” which allows the birds to coordinate flight movements, to the reed frog’s heat reflecting “vest,” to the hummingbird’s sequinned “costume,” which helps to attract a mate. A secondary level of prose text on each spread gives further context for each animal’s particular environment and adaptation. Light seems to dance off of the book's vibrant pages, with illustrations that bring us up close and personal with animals both exotic and familiar to young readers. An author’s note provides additional information about the science of iridescence. Key Text Features author's note bibliography definitions explanation facts further information illustrations Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.5 Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types.