Wild Babies

Linda Ludke is a librarian at the London Public Library.

Spectacular, realistic illustrations afford a close-up glimpse of 12
wild animals and their babies. Each full-page colour painting is
accompanied on the facing page by a black-and-white sketch and a
descriptive sentence. The forest is alive with activity: “Little
bandits steal across the mossy roots, raccoon kits searching for
berries,” “cougar cubs tumble and pounce, testing each other’s
strengths as they play,” and “mountain goat kids clamber up rocky
slopes.”

Children will pore over the richly detailed scenes. A close examination
also reveals hidden letters spelling out the name of the animal that
will appear on the next page. The words are cleverly camouflaged in
blades of grass, tree trunks, and branches. A legend at the end of the
book offers more hide-and-seek clues and provides information about each
featured animal. Another noteworthy list is the terminology for each
species: for example, a baby bear is a cub, a male is a boar, and a
group is called a sleuth.

Wild Babies is an informative and engaging book that encourages an
appreciation of and respect for nature. Highly recommended.