Who doesn't love a cute animal book? Little kids usually love animals and today I am sharing a round-up of new picture books focused on animals. And with the state of the world right now I think we all need some cuteness and fun to distract us. The books feature cute puppies, baby animals and dinosaurs and all three books are from National Geographic Kids, so they are full of photos and more. We will start with So Cute! Puppies by Crispin Boyer. It is recommended for ages 3 to 5.
From the Publisher:
That wrinkly little face. Those sweet puppy dog eyes! That squishy, pudgy, fuzzy body! Let's face it ... puppies are SO CUTE! And, well, so is this book!Ready to get your paws on the most playful puppies in town? Well then you’ve come to the right place! Try to contain your squeals of delight as you flip through pages of the fluffy fur balls.
Inside this book, you’ll find:
- Brief, humorous text well-suited for young readers
- Informational fact boxes about a puppy’s life stages, behavior, common dog breeds, and more
- Supercute puppy photos with imagined inner dialogue that will have the whole family laughing
Little kids getting acquainted with a new pup at home or kids who love animals in general will love this playful and eye-catching book. From puppies at playtime to rascally ruff-housing, this book gives kids an engaging introduction to these adorable animals.
From Me:
This book is adorable!! It is full of photos of sweet puppies. Throughout the book there is fun text as well as speech bubbles for the puppies with some humor and there are sections where information about puppies is given. This is the perfect book to begin teaching kids about puppies (and dogs). It is also just a fun book to read with really cute photographs! Each photograph also has the breed labeled so kids will learn about the different kinds of puppies! I have shared many books, crafts, movies and more having to do with puppies and dogs if you are looking for more (and for different ages)!
Do you have a dinosaur lover in your house? The next book is perfect for the budding dinosaur lover. It is So Cool! Dinos by Crispin Boyer. It is recommended for ages 3 to 5 as well.
From the Publisher:
Those sharp, pointy teeth! Those terrifying claws! Those long necks and pointy spines! Let’s face it ... dinosaurs are SO COOL! And, well, so is this book!Dinos ruled Earth millions of years ago, and they came in all shapes and sizes. Some even had feathers! From the mighty T. rex to teeny-tiny microraptors, this book is jam-packed with dino-mite info about your favorite dinosaurs. Blending awesome dinosaur art with silly quips, it is sure to delight young readers and prehistoric creature enthusiasts alike.
Inside this book, you’ll find:
- Brief, humorous text well-suited for young readers
- Informational fact boxes about when dinosaurs lived on Earth, stats about supercool dinos like Tyrannosaurus rex, dinosaur feathers, and more
- Incredible and factually-accurate dinosaur illustrations with imagined inner dialogue that will have the whole family laughing
Little kids who are delighted by dinos will love this playful and engaging book. It’s the perfect little reader to get kids’ brains buzzing and keep them laughing while learning!
From Me:
This book is set in the same fashion as So Cute! Puppies. It has photographs/illustrations with the breeds labeled. The dinosaurs have speech bubbles, and the words are fun and interesting. Then there are sections with more factual information. A fact I learned from this book--every bird is a descendent from dinosaurs! This is a must have for young dinosaur lovers! Over the years I have shared many dinosaur books for different ages. Be sure to check them out for more dino-mite fun!
Our final book is part of the Little Kids First Big Book Series (see the list under "From the Publisher" for links). I have reviewed a few over the years from this series. Today's is Little Kids First Big Book of Baby Animals by Maya Myers. Its reading age is 4 to 8.
From the Publisher:
This may be the cutest Little Kids First Big Book ever! From panda cubs and prairie dog pups to beluga calves and fuzzy flamingo chicks, this book is packed with fascinating information about adorable and aww-some baby animals.Meet more than 40 animal babies from every corner of the globe, from ocean depths to mountaintops, grassy plains to polar lands.
Features include:
- A map that shows where these animals are found in the wild
- Questions in each chapter that encourage interactive learning
- Simple text for reading aloud or for beginning readers
- Engaging photography of real animals in their habitats
- Parent tips that extend the experience beyond the book
Find out how these wee wild ones are born, where they live, what their families are like, how they get their food, and how they learn to do things on their own―all the things that are important to young humans, too!
Complete your collection with these popular titles from the best-selling National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book series:
- Little Kids First Big Book of Animals
- Little Kids First Big Book of the Ocean
- Little Kids First Big Book of Reptiles and Amphibians
- Little Kids First Big Book of Birds
- Little Kids First Big Book of Bugs
- Little Kids First Big Book of the Rain Forest
- Little Kids First Big Book of Pets
- Little Kids First Big Book of Rocks, Minerals and Shells
From Me:
We can start with the cuteness of the photographs--although not all baby animals are cute. This book is meant for older kids, and it shows. There are six chapters. The first is about the basics and discusses the types of animals: mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, octopus and insects. The other five chapters share animals of these different types based on environment: grassland, water, mountain and desert, forest and polar. Each chapter features between six and ten animals that live in the environment. At the end of the book is an Animal Map or world map showing where the different animals from the book live. Then there are parent tips on extending the lessons in this book with other activities. They include things like a trip to the zoo, nest building (think pillow/blanket forts), searching for insects and animals, and more. There is also a glossary at the end. Even the glossary has cute photographs of baby animals!
Each of the featured animals have a two- or four-page spread. There are photographs of the species featured as well as a table of facts that tell the kind of animal, baby name, where they live, how many babies born at one time, food for the babies, and the size of the baby at birth (given in reference to everyday items and not numbers). With each photograph is a circle with a fact about the animal. There is also a narrative giving lots of facts about the baby animal. Each animal feature ends with a question for the child about his or her own life related to something the animal does. It is a wonderful interactive book for parents to read to kids and get them talking!
There are animals that kids will know like a white-tailed deer and polar bear to ones they may not have heard of like a strawberry poison dart frog. The book is full of facts and photographs and will have every reader loving animals and wanting to learn more.
I hope you will check out these books and take some time to enjoy the beautiful world we live in!! Happy bird chirping season!!
