National Wildlife Federation is a strong voice dedicated to protecting wildlife and its habitat, and inspiring the future generations of conservationists.
Excellent nature photography, even in this small (6 inches square)
board-book format, will intrigue young animal lovers. Most of the
photos are of species young children will recognize (lions, a
cheetah, a bear, a leopard), but some are less-typical subjects: an
egret, a crab, a red fox. Each is paired with another creature that
demonstrates an opposite feature-but does not necessarily share a
habitat. So "Bison lives where it is COLD" is juxtaposed with
"Lizard lives where it is HOT." The key word is printed in
uppercase type and in a bold, contrasting color. Each animal gets
just the one line, providing a fact but possibly leaving
inquisitive preschoolers puzzled and their parents or teachers
struggling to fill in more information. For example, the last two
pages feature a cougar and a burrowing owl, both awake. The final
page shows a koala, sound asleep. But nowhere do readers learn that
all three are nocturnal, nor is it clear whether the photos were
taken during the day or night. My First Book of Animal Hugs and
Kisses, published simultaneously, has some of the same issues, plus
the problem of attributing human emotions to animal behaviors.
Still, the high-quality nature photography is a refreshing change
from smiling cartoon critters. Take this one to the zoo.
—Kirkus Reviews
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