10 Bush Babies, By Susan Hall & Naomi Zouwer (ill)

10 bush babies
went out one day,
into the sun to jump and play.
Mrs Roo rang ding-ding-ding-ding…
…but only 9 bush babies ran in.

Mrs Roo is trying to round her young students up after playtime, but one by one they all disappear. Finally, when none remain, she tries again, and all ten return. Giving an Australian twist to the well-known rhyme ‘Five Little Ducks’, this board book will delight young Aussies, as well as making a cute gift for overseas friends or relatives.

The illustrations are inspired by the work of naturalist John Gould, and each new spread features an almost identical illustration, apart from the gradual disappearance of each animal baby, helping youngsters to guess which animal has gone.There is also a hint as to where the baby has gone and, at the end of the book, a double page spread explains where each animal went.

Very sweet.

 

10 Bush Babies

Ten Bush Babies , by Susan Hall, illustrated by Naomi Zouwer
NLA Publishing, 2013
ISBN 9780642277695

Available from good bookstores or online .

Hey Baby, by Corinne Fenton

Hey Baby!
Never doubt just how special you are.

What a delightful first picture book this is. Speaking directly to a new born baby, this love letter reminds the child that there is nobody quite like him/her in simple text which will withstand multiple re readings and is short enough that even a wriggler will be able to last through its entirety.

The text is supported by beautiful baby animal photographs which will captivate young viewers and also delight adult readers. There are kittens, elephants, zebras, monkeys, even fish and, in the final to photos, a baby.

Whilst the title and the term ‘newborn’ baby in the text suggest the key target audience is newborns, older children will also enjoy the message of uniqueness and unconditional love, and the lively photo illustrations will also delight them.

Hey Baby! would make a perfect gift for a baby shower or newborn.

Hey Baby!

Hey Baby! by Corinne Fenton
Black DOg, 2012
ISBN 9781742032498

Available from good bookstores or online. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Baby Animal Farm, by Karen Blair

Let’s go to the baby animal farm!

Follow the adventures of five gorgeous toddlers as they explroe the baby animal farm – feeding lambs, following ducklings, even eating lunch and losing (and, luckily, finding) teddy bears.

Baby Animal Farm is a beautifully simple celebration of baby people and baby animals interacting. The text is simple, inviting toddlers to join in with Quack, quack, quack. Cheep cheep cheep and so on. The illustrations in pastel watercolours with crayon outlines are not too busy, but have enough detail to engage toddlers, who will delight in spotting what happens to teddy early in the story, and how he is found. A really nice touch is the cultural diversity of the five children. The end papers too are special – with the baby animals awake and waiting for visitors at the front of the book and sleeping at dusk in the back.

Suitable for reading to newborns through to preschool age children, Baby Animal Farm would make a wonderful gift.

Baby Animal Farm

Baby Animal Farm, by Karen Blair
Walker Books, 2012
ISBN 9781921720376

This book is available from good bookstores and online from Fishpond.