Little Bush Babies and Mummy’s Little Bush Babies are united by the ‘Smart Babies’ tag, which suggests perhaps that these are just the first two in a new series from Black Dog. Little Bush Babies features photos of baby Australian animals accompanied by captions that track through a typical day for a small child. It begins and ends with sleep. In between, the text describes getting dressed, eating, playing and bathing. There is a different baby animal on each page. Mummy’s Little Bush Babiesfollows a similar pattern in that there are different animals on each page, but each shows mother and child together. The text details the interaction between mother and child from the child’s point of view and ends with an affirmation of the love between them.
Little Bush Babies and Mummy’s Little Bush Babies are both sturdy board books, with beautiful close up photos of Australian wildlife. Simple large font text appears on every page and swaps between black and white to ensure clarity on the coloured pages. Some of the images show the animals in their habitat, while others have been set on brightly coloured backgrounds. Small children learning about books can simply look, and enjoy the images. Parents or others reading to small children can introduce some of Australia’s wildlife as well as reinforcing daily routines or affirming relationships. Recommended for babies and pre-schoolers.
Little Bush Babies comp Black Dog Books, 2008 ISBN: 9781742030425
Mummy’s Little Bush Babies comp Black Dog Books 2008 ISBN: 9781742030432