Hop Up! Wriggle Over!

PreS—In this vivacious Australian import, a rambunctious family of assorted baby marsupials (e.g., quoll, wallaby, echidna, wombat, numbat) start their day by waking their kangaroo dad and koala mom and demanding breakfast. Having eaten, they go to the playground, enjoy a picnic, and return home for a messy and noisy supper, followed by a bath and bedtime. Honey's playful watercolor artwork overflow with the energy of the mischievous youngsters (all nine babies appear on each spread), mixed with an undercurrent of tenderness as the grown-up animals care for the wee ones. Short, mostly onomatopoetic exclamations accompany the double-page illustrations for extra zing, though the vignettes of this unique family are so expressive, they could have been wordless. An illustrated pronunciation guide for all of the animal names is included in the back.