Baby on Board: How Animals Carry Their Young

Rhyming text and stunningly-detailed illustrations of animals in their natural habitats combine to provide information about how animals carry their young. By first introducing the topic through something with which young readers will be familiar–how humans carry their young in slings, carriers, and backpacks–the author insures that they will be able to make connections to how other animals carry their young. Thus, she highlights species who carry their young in a pouch, in their mouth, on their backs, on their chest, or even sitting on their feet before being hatches. I liked how the main story line appears on one page with interesting snippets on the facing page. I learned something about sea otters that I never knew–they secure their offspring with kelp so the babies won’t escape while heading off to hunt for food. Activities and additional information are provided at the back of the book. This is an attractive and informative addition for the well-stocked science classroom library.

— Goodreads, Barbara (Feb. 10, 2017)

This book is another great one by Dawn Publications. They always have incredible pictures and weave together cute stories and educational facts. It hits learners at multiple levels and allows the book to be read for years with even one child who gets different things from it. The base story is a rhyme that talks about a universal theme, moms and babies. Then, there is a part I skip with my littlest and read and discuss with my oldest. A cool fact to support the uniqueness of the featured animal on that page. Plus, as always, the book ends with more educational fun and resources for the family. Fantastic

— Amazon 5 star, Erin (Feb. 9, 2017)

My daughter and I love this book. There is no stronger bond than parent and child and this book is the perfect reminder. It’s educational and beautifully illustrated!! This book is a must!!

— Amazon 5 star, C. Broker (March 12, 2017)

“Tucked in pouches, gripped in teeth, propped on backs, or underneath-these are just some of the clever ways animals carry their babies. How did someone carry you?”

-These two ladies are hands down my favorite author and illustrator from Dawn Pub.
-Beautiful pictures, as usual.
-Not wordy, which is great for youngsters. Pleasant flow with memorable rhyming.
-Extra facts on each page about mama and baby interactions.
-Myka also really liked this one. Plus, it’s fun for her to look at by herself even if we’re not reading it.
-Explore More:
-Matching game to test memory of story.
-Suggested activities for reading aloud, language arts, math, and more.

— Alicia Owen, Mixed Bag Mama Blog (March, 2017)

“Baby On Board” is a beautifully illustrated book teaching children how different animals carry their young. Realistic color portraits of many different species of animals carrying their young cover the pages, along with a rhyming narrative full of exciting descriptions and information about the animal’s habits and habitat. Some of the animals with their young studied include: sea otter, kangaroo, sloth, opossum, manatee, chimpanzee, common loon, alligators, the wolf spider, emperor penguin, anteater, lion, and finally, human animals as well. Pages at the end of “Baby On Board” over a matching game featuring tiny animal pictures, names, and descriptions of how the animal carries its young. Other learning activity suggestions include a read aloud section, some language arts questions, math study questions, and questions in other categories, including science, engineering, movement, and resources. More learning activities are available at www.dawnpub.com for educators, parents and lucky students.

— Midwest Book Review, James Cox, Editor-in-Chief (Children’s Bookwatch: March 2017)

This latest, outstanding release from Dawn Publications engages young readers by showing them ways in which they might have been carried by their parents as infants and toddlers. Then it asks them to think about how animals, who can’t buy baby carriers or strollers, might carry their young. The loving, animated illustrations make the book a winner, and a lot of information is communicated along the way. This learning-based publisher has once again met its own standards with this combination of science and art.

As usual, the focus is on interactive education. Suggestions for follow-up activities for teachers, parents, and young readers are provided at the end. There is also a code to scan in order to access even more activities on the Dawn Publications website.

— Retailing Insight, Anna Jedrziewski (April 2017)