Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too?

Do animals have mothers, too? Of course they do -- just like me and you! Once again, Eric Carle reassures and delights children in this colorful album of animal mothers and their babies. Beautifully rendered family portraits of familiar and beloved creatures are accompanied by playful text in question-and-answer form, inviting children and adults to read aloud together. Kids will love learning the names of animal babies and their moms, and a bonus page at the back will encourage them to discover more about the natural world.

Publishers Weekly

"YES! A kangaroo has a mother. Just like you and me," responds Carle to the query posed by the title of his latest collage-filled book. Ten additional, identically phrased questions and answers follow, each centered on a different animal, including the lion, penguin, swan, bear, elephant and monkey. This limited, singsong text may make reading aloud repetitious, but Carle's collages are as vibrant and refreshing as ever. Innovative textures, quirky perspectives and glowing, jewel tones mark these stylized images of affectionate animal mothers and their endearing young. The final query ("And do animal mothers love their babies?") breaks the narrative pattern, though the rejoinder is just as predictable: "YES! YES! Of course they do. Animal mothers love their babies, just as yours loves you." Though this will likely not be the perennial favorite among Carle's creations, it has an appealing twinkle. At book's end is a roundup of the specific names of each animal baby, its parents and group name (e.g., for sheep: the baby is a lamb, a ewe and ram are its parents, a group is a flock). Ages 3-6. (Jan.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.