Animal Babies in Ponds and Rivers
Reviewed with Jennifer Schofield'sAnimal Babies in Grasslands.PreS-K. These two Animal Babies titles showcase wildlife photography of a quality not often found in books for preschoolers. Covering seven animals from each featured habitat, the books pair portraits of the winsome baby animals with information styled as first-person commentary ("When I feel hungry, I plunge my head under water and look for food") and a question ("Who is my mommy?"). The next spread answers the question both verbally ("My mommy is a duck, and I am a duckling) and visually (a large image of mommy and baby together). Initially the question-and-answer setup feels a little forced, but kids will quickly get the idea; soon they'll be identifying the more exotic creatures (meerkats, capybaras) and shouting out the technical terms for the animals' young (cygnet, joey). The curiously shifting type size is distracting, and at times the text is imprecise, but the captivating photos and child-friendly format make this a sound choice for an armchair trip to the zoo.Jennifer MattsonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved