Meet My Family! Animal babies and their families, by Laura Purdie Salas; illus. by Stephanie Fizer Coleman
32 pages; ages 5-9. Millbrook Press, 2018
“My parents both take care of me.”
Written from the point of view of animal babies, they introduce us to their families. The tundra swan cygnet lives with both mom and dad, while a raccoon kit has never met its father.
What I like love about this book: Large text on each page introduces the animal baby and its family. Smaller text adds detail about where they live (a den or nest), whether they have siblings, and how parents interact with the young. Wolves play, for example, while some frogs give their kids piggyback rides.
At the same time, facing pages highlight comparisons and contrasts. A foal is an only child, whereas piglets have lots of brothers and sisters. Beaver kits live in one place through their childhood, while orangutans move to a new nest each night.
Best of all ~ the large text, read by itself is a long, lyrical poem about animal families. Plus there’s back matter: a glossary of what animal babies are called in their home ranges, and a map showing where the 22 animal families live. And did I mention the awesome illustrations? I love that the cover resembles a family album.
Head over to Archimedes Notebook for another review about animal dads, and hands-on activities.
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