I Was: The Stories of Animal Skulls

I WAS: THE STORIES OF ANIMAL SKULLS teaches children all about skulls and shows pictures of what the animals look like alive before all that's left is their bones. While death and bones are usually a morbid topic, this book colors the subject in a positive light that will spark a child's curiosity. The writing is lyrical and educational which held my daughter's attention. The illustrations highlight the details of skulls, but I do feel like the words were hard to read in some places because of the coloring. In the back of the book, the author revisits the animals featured while teaching more about the differences in their skulls. It shows how not all creatures were made the same. I like how the author also teaches about the human skull and what each part is responsible for.


Final Verdict: I would recommend this to children who are fascinated by animals and biology like my daughter is. It's a unique way to learn about what is and what was: what happens to us after our bodies decay and only bones are left.

I loved everything about I Was: The Stories of Animal Skulls.

The digital illustrations are breath-taking. The artwork is vivid and honoring all that can be found in nature. My kids thought the images were super cool, being able to see what each skull WAS and IS, and had fun guessing what each animal was before turning the page.

The lyrical text is easy for children to follow along with. I really like that the author made each spread a guessing game. Her subtle hints could have been one animal or more, which could be bit difficult for younger children to guess.


Additional information like the human skull and animal facts can be found in the few pages of back-matter material.

I highly recommend this book for home and school libraries! Readers of all ages will enjoy this beautifully macabre children's book.