ABC ZooBorns

PreS–All of these animal babies are extremely cuddly and appear in a full-color photo, one to a page, with the uppercase letter, a one- or two-line descriptive phrase, and a small image showing its basic shape. Some of the animals are shown with parents, some are held by what appears to be zoo staff, and some are on their own. A spread at the end of the book gives the conservation status of each one, its species, a short description, and the location of the zoo in which it resides. The introduction explains that the book’s purpose is to teach the alphabet, but, more importantly, to show the need to study animals in zoos in order to understand them in the wild and to develop ways to protect endangered species. Not all of the animals are endangered, as explained on the back pages. Aside from the cuteness factor, and the simple ABC format, the book’s usefulness is limited. It is mostly a browsing item for parents to share with young children. The photographs are wonderful, the color and simple phrases fun, but there is little actual information that would point children toward conservation facts.–Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City