Review by Booklist Review
Ages 1-3. It couldn't get much simpler than this, but less is more when it comes to books for the youngest. Here, a single, large-scale picture of a baby animal appears above the words "Whose baby am I?" Turn the page and find the answer--the same baby, now with its mother, along with words such as "I am an owl baby." The pattern holds for nine birds and mammals, none of them necessarily the common species one would expect in a children's book. This device works nicely to gently expand a youngster's vocabulary and knowledge of the world. Each creature is handsomely presented in acrylic-and-colored pencil art, its "babyness" distinct and appealing. The last page has a visual review, along with the correct term for the baby animal. An effective, attractive presentation that should also work well at toddler story hours. Denise Wilms
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The responses by various animal offspring to the titular question in this volume is that each baby belongs to a loving mommy animal (e.g., "Whose baby am I?/ I am a panda baby"), and they inspire irresistible portraits. Butler's (Bashi, Elephant Baby) acrylic and colored pencil illustrations realistically capture nine achingly adorable animals. He infuses his renderings of the cotton puff-like owlet that opens the book, a sweetly gawky zebra calf and a polar bear cub with just the right amount of romanticism. Glints of lavender play in the animals' fur, the trace of a smile can be detected on a bill or mouth and the artist misses no opportunity to emphasize those huge, heart-tugging eyes. The book concludes with a spread that invites youngsters to match the babies with their mothers and a page that labels each offspring with its official name (a koala baby is called a joey, a seal baby is a pup, etc.). Ages 1-4. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-The title question is posed in bold lettering beneath illustrations of a variety of young animals. For each one, the answer is revealed with the turn of a page. For example, "I am an owl baby" shows an owlet and its mother. The gentle pictures done in acrylic and colored pencils depict adorable creatures and their mothers on soft pastel backgrounds. The images are precious and the layout makes this title perfect for storytimes. A double-page spread at the end asks viewers to match the babies on the left with the adult animals on the right. The final page provides the correct names for the babies: joey (koala), chick (penguin), cub (panda), calf (elephant), and so on. This title is destined to be a popular choice.-Olga R. Kuharets, Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, NC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Under each winsome illustration of a young animal is the question, Whose baby am I? Turn the page, and the baby is identified and shown with a parent. Nine animals, including a koala, panda, and penguin, are introduced. The final page shows the words for the baby animals such as [cf2]foal, joey,[cf1] and [cf2]cub.[cf1] This toddler-friendly book is printed on heavy-coated paper. From HORN BOOK Fall 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Simple text introduces young children to an array of animal babies. An over-sized drawing of a juvenile wild animal is accompanied by the question "Whose baby am I?" Readers turn the page to discover a portrait of baby and parent, along with the statement "I am an owl baby" or "I am an elephant baby" This basic format is repeated throughout. Nine infants make up Butler's menagerie, including penguin chicks, panda cubs, koala joeys, and more familiar creatures, such as a zebra foal and a giraffe calf. The colored pencil-and-acrylic illustrations are irresistibly cute. Each portrait rests on a sheer pastel background that changes from picture to picture in a subtle range of hues. Remarkably life-like, the carefully drawn animals are finely detailed-from the wrinkled hide of the elephant to long, feathery lashes framing the soft brown eyes of the zebra. For older children, the final two-page spread contains a matching challenge where they can pair the offspring with their respective parents. Also included at the end is an illustration of all the animal babies, each labeled with its appropriate name-e.g., "owlet" instead of owl baby. Ideal for the smallest explorer, Butler's book of cuddlesome creatures is enchanting. (Picture book. 1-4)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
