FICTION

A Book of Babies

by Il Sung NA
illus. by author. 24p. Knopf. Jan. 2014. Tr $15.99. ISBN 9780385752909; lib. ed. $18.99. ISBN 9780385752916; ebk. $10.99. ISBN 9780385752923. LC 2012050490.
COPY ISBN
PreS—Children are taken on an entertaining, duck-led tour in springtime and given insight into the first day in the lives of eight diverse animals. The babies highlighted have distinct differences right from the start. Some are "only children," while others have many siblings. Some can walk immediately, others cannot. On each beautifully colored spread, the parent of five new ducklings at the book's beginning shows readers the differing capabilities of the other newborn offspring. Na's signature, intriguing illustrations are a delight to peruse with their handmade painterly textures and digitally generated layers. Creatures from Africa, Australia, the Arctic, and the ocean commingle happily and share in the joy of new life.—Maryann H. Owen, Children's Literature Specialist, Mt. Pleasant, WI
Whimsical mixed-media illustrations picture a duckling observing animal babies' differences and similarities: fish have multiple siblings, zebras walk at birth, some are carried in pouches, and others are covered with scales or fur, but all sleep at day's end. The story is soothing, but that the duckling is omnipresent across varied habitats and climates (under the ocean, polar regions, etc.) may strike viewers as odd.
Reviewed by Maryann H. Owen , Dec 01, 2013

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