Koala

K-Gr 3-The book follows a young koala as he searches for a new home away from his mother. Though only a toddler, he is now too big for his mother's pouch. "When he tries..., his mother swats him away....Climb, little Koala. It's time to find your own way." On the next page, readers learn that a pregnant koala will ignore her joey, who must learn to fend for himself. The toddler inadvertently has a fight with another male, weathers a storm, and has a close call with a snake before finally finding a tree of his own. "Stay, little Koala. This will be a good home." The story is told in a large, easy-to-read text, and factual commentary appears at the bottom of many pages in a smaller font. A final note offers additional information about the animal's day, appearance, and habits. The watercolor illustrations are dramatic, colorful, and attractive. One picture shows him reaching for his mother "in his waking panic...But she is not there." Another shows him climbing a tree with loose bark and suddenly tumbling down. When he encounters a large snake among the twigs, "Koala startles and launches himself across the clearing, reaching with his front paws, jumping with his hind legs." Youngsters will enjoy learning about the marsupial's physical characteristics, child-rearing, mating, and enemies, as well as where they live and what they eat, all within a moving tale filled with adventure. VERDICT Riveting nonfiction for elementary collections.-Barbara Auerbach, formerly at New York City Public Schools © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Through the home-seeking journey of one young, male koala, readers learn general facts about these Australian natives. As the story opens, the koala wakes and attempts to nurse but is spurned by his mother. His story is presented in large type, with display type for the text's gentle exhortations: "Climb, little Koala. It's time to find your own way." Smaller print offers additional information for older readers: the mother is pregnant, so now she will ignore her joey. This format continues throughout, as the koala eats eucalyptus and searches for a new arboreal home. The text is not sparse, but it has been thoughtfully composed for young readers and listeners. On the first page, the koala is described as "tall as a toddler," with "paws perfect for climbing." When he decides against climbing a tree because the bark stinks, the small print explains that the koala is smelling an odor from another male's scent gland; the tree is previously claimed. Watercolor illustrations follow the text closely, showing the koala through days and nights, in all kinds of weather, and using an unusual, kangaroolike gait when he flees from a snake. Relatively challenging words such as "hesitates," "sapling," and "leaf litter" are evident from the context of words and pictures, and "marsupial" is explained early on. The koala's trials are real, but they are also brief enough to assuage any reader anxiety. Solid beginners' zoology. (fact page, index) (Informational picture book. 4-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.