April 1, 2022
PreS-Gr 1-Close-up photos of baby animals highlight this set. Simple text describes the animals' behavior in the early stages of life, with one or two sentences per page. Large fonts and double-spaced text are aimed at early readers. So is the simple text: "Fawns nurse. They drink milk from mom" (Baby Deer). Photographs show newborns and capture the early phases of growth along with behaviors such as napping and eating. Most show the animals in their natural environment, often interacting with family members. In some cases the page design, which uses extensive decorative shapes, limits the size and effectiveness of the photos. Readers never get a full view of a duck's nest in Baby Duck, for instance, nor a sense of the height of the trees inhabited by pandas in Baby Panda. VERDICT Imperfect, but acceptable choices for early nonfiction collections.
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July 1, 2022
Preschool-Grade 1 Libraries will have no trouble circulating the Too Cute! series (6 new titles), which gives beginning readers a glimpse of baby animals, their activities, and key stages of growth. Written at a kindergarten level with plenty of repetition, these books feature one to two short sentences per double-page spread, with vocabulary appearing in bold and supported by a well-chosen, full-page stock photograph. Across the volumes, the text follows a similar formula. The books begin by greeting the baby ("Hello, fawn!"); then move onto the animal's birth, appearance, diet, activities, and growth; and conclude with the animal reaching adulthood and setting out on its own ("Goodbye, mom!"). In Baby Koalas, a tiny pink joey grows in its mother's pouch, from which it emerges to ride on her back and munch on leaves. Each volume ends with an illustrated recap of its animal's life stages and its daily activities as well as a photo glossary. A strong, adorable series.
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