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Children love animals. They love to watch them, pet them, feed them and play with them. To a child, an animal is nonjudgmental and holds much wonder. What better pairing could there be than books with or about animals? This month's selections feature bears, dogs, goats and baboons - all endlessly fascinating and each with a special story to tell. For ages 3-6 Let's Count the Puppies By Katharine Kunhardt (HarperCollins, hardcover, 30 pages, $12.99) What child can resist a cute puppy? This book cleverly combines learning to count with photos of adorable retriever puppies. There are photographs of puppies playing follow the leader, waving, running and hiding. A "scrapbook" at the end shows the author's own adorable dogs. Bear Wants More Written by Karma Wilson; illustrated by Jane Chapman (Simon & Schuster, hardcover, 30 pages, $16.95) Spring has come and a bear awakens in his den - and boy, is he hungry. His friends lead him to food, like the mouse who takes him to a strawberry patch, the hare who leads him to clover and the badger who takes him to a fishing hole. In each spot, bear eats and eats - but he still wants more. The rhyming text will catch the attention of young readers, as will the charming illustrations, done in acrylics. Giddy Goat Written by Jamie Rix; illustrated by Lynne Chapman (McGraw Hill, hardcover, 32 pages, $14.95) Giddy is a mountain goat, but you wouldn't know it by his fear of heights. While his brothers and sisters frolic on the highest heights, he trembles. He runs away to live in the meadow with the sheep, but they don't want him. After all, goats and sheep don't mix. Then Giddy hears the frightened bleating of a lost lamb stuck on one of the highest peaks. He forgets his fear and saves the lamb, Edmund, who just wants to climb. Giddy learns to overcome his fear and makes a new friend in the process. Children will love the fanciful illustrations and just might identify with Giddy's fear. At the end of the story, he is, after all, a hero. Gezani and the Tricky Baboon Written by Valanga Khoza; illustrated by Sally Rippin (Allen & Unwin, hardcover, 32 pages, $14.95) This classic African fable describes the match of wits between a boy and a sneaky baboon. The baboon manages to finagle some bananas from Gezani, who had been carrying them to his cousins. But Gezani gets back at the baboon by appealing to his sense of greed. The payback is sweet, indeed. The bright, colorful illustrations, paired with the chant-like rhythm of the text, makes for a breezy read. Poochie-Poo Written and illustrated by Helen Stephens (Random House, hardcover, 32 pages, $14.95) Victor is an adorable pup who lives with Miss Loopy, who just loves cuddling and spoiling him. But Victor has a dog friend, Butch, who fancies himself a baddie. Butch tries to convince Victor that a life of doggie crime is much more exciting and fulfilling than being an obedient lap dog. Victor wants to impress Butch but finds that he must be true to himself - and that maybe Butch is acting a lot tougher than he really is. The whimsical illustrations are colorful and lively; children will love the funny language and may begin to learn the value of resisting peer pressure. For ages 5-8 You're a Bear Written by Mavis Jukes; illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher (Alfred A. Knopf, hardcover, 30 pages, $16.95) The poetic text and beautifully detailed paintings follow the fanciful imaginings of a young girl who fancies herself a bear - playing in the living room with a coat draped over her like a bear skin, gazing at the sky, even while taking a bath and going to bed. All the activities are contrasted against those of a bear. It's a lovely combination of imagination and adventure. Galapagos Means Tortoises By Ruth Heller (Gibbs Smith, paperback, 48 pages, $6.95) The Galapagos Islands and their treasure of unique animal species are presented in this delightful book. The text is rhyming and the lifelike illustrations describe blue-footed boobies, land iguanas and giant tortoises, among other wonders. Children will be fascinated with the information and may even inspire some budding Darwins to read more about animals and biology. For ages 7-10 Magic Tree House Research Guide: Dolphins and Sharks By Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce (Random House, paperback, 128 pages, $4.99) The popular Magic Tree House series, featuring characters Jack and Annie, takes kids on adventures around the world. This book serves as a research companion to the series' "Dolphins at Daybreak." It's chock-full of facts, including how sharks hunt, how dolphins communicate and how the oceans are explored. |
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