Whose Baby Am I

by John Butler

Overview

A very simple and enchanting book with sturdy card pages, that introduces the concept of mothers and babies in the animal world. The book works as a guessing game - the animal with the question: "Whose baby am I?" on one page and the answer revealedon the next.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780140567755
Publisher:	Penguin UK
Publication date:	11/02/2004
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 3 Years

About the Author

John Butler is a part-time lecturer in graphic design and illustration as well as a freelance illustrator. He has produced a range of wonderful wildlife books with Theresa Radcliffe. John lives in Kent.

Editorial Reviews

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) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

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 Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

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)

Kirkus Reviews