Scientific American Young Readers Book Award, 1996, for Big and Little Outstanding Trade Book for Children citation, National Science Teachers Association, 1998, for What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You? Recommended Books inclusion, National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), 1998, for Animal Dads Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Nonfiction, and American Library Association (ALA) Notable Children's Book designation, both 2000, both for The Top of the World Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year selection, and Capitol Choice selection, both 2002, and NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Book citation, 2003, all for Life on Earth (with Robin Page) Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly Commended honor, NCTE Notable Book in the Language Arts designation, and Caldecott Honor designation, all 2004, all for What Do You Do with a Tail like This? Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year, 2004, and Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, 2005, both for Next Stop, Nep.

Exhibitions: Works exhibited in Society of Illustrators Original Art Show, 2004.

Education: North Carolina State University, B.A.

Born 1952, in Hickory, NC son of Alvin (a physics professor) and Margaret (a bank employee and homemaker) Jenkins married Robin Page (a graphic designer and author) children: Page, Alec, Jamie.

Actual size by steve jenkins