Overview

What makes an animal a mammal? And what is not a mammal? Mammals have skeletons as deer have, breathe air in lungs as whales do, and are born alive as are calves. What is not a mammal? A ladybug has no skeleton, a fish breathes through gills and a bird hatches from an egg. Monkeys, dolphins, and elephants are mammals—and so are you and I! With clear, simple language, beautiful paintings, a chart, diagrams, and a cutaway, acclaimed author-illustrator Lizzy Rockwell has created a beautiful and informative book that introduces young children to animal classification and dichotomous inquiry.

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9780823436705

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Quiet, pleasing ink-and-watercolor pictures illustrate the text, and an attractive two-page classification chart shows 'Life on Earth,' divided and subdivided into categories. This picture book provides young children with a simple, informative, age-appropriate introduction to mammals. -Booklist Largely eschewing scientific vocabulary in favor of clear explanations (the terms 'vertebrates' and 'invertebrates' are introduced in a diagram in the backmatter), Rockwell's text focuses on the concepts. The fine-lined ink-and-watercolor illustrations are as clear and straightforward as the text, with the carefully labeled renderings of the animals examined particularly meticulous. . . . A clear, respectful introduction. -Kirkus Reviews Ink-and-watercolor illustrations are detailed and complement the text nicely. . . . A solid option for classrooms and libraries -School Library Journal [Readers will] learn plenty about the ways that animals are categorized and classified. -Publishers Weekly

"""Quiet, pleasing ink-and-watercolor pictures illustrate the text, and an attractive two-page classification chart shows 'Life on Earth,' divided and subdivided into categories. This picture book provides young children with a simple, informative, age-appropriate introduction to mammals.""—Booklist   ""Largely eschewing scientific vocabulary in favor of clear explanations (the terms 'vertebrates' and 'invertebrates' are introduced in a diagram in the backmatter), Rockwell’s text focuses on the concepts. The fine-lined ink-and-watercolor illustrations are as clear and straightforward as the text, with the carefully labeled renderings of the animals examined particularly meticulous. . . . A clear, respectful introduction."" —Kirkus Reviews   ""Ink-and-watercolor illustrations are detailed and complement the text nicely. . . . A solid option for classrooms and libraries""—School Library Journal   ""[Readers will] learn plenty about the ways that animals are categorized and classified."" —Publishers Weekly"

""Quiet, pleasing ink-and-watercolor pictures illustrate the text, and an attractive two-page classification chart shows 'Life on Earth,' divided and subdivided into categories. This picture book provides young children with a simple, informative, age-appropriate introduction to mammals.""—Booklist   ""Largely eschewing scientific vocabulary in favor of clear explanations (the terms 'vertebrates' and 'invertebrates' are introduced in a diagram in the backmatter), Rockwell’s text focuses on the concepts. The fine-lined ink-and-watercolor illustrations are as clear and straightforward as the text, with the carefully labeled renderings of the animals examined particularly meticulous. . . . A clear, respectful introduction."" —Kirkus Reviews   ""Ink-and-watercolor illustrations are detailed and complement the text nicely. . . . A solid option for classrooms and libraries""—School Library Journal   ""[Readers will] learn plenty about the ways that animals are categorized and classified."" —Publishers Weekly

A dad and two kids walk their English setter and explore what distinguishes mammals from all the other animals they see. Beginning by establishing that animals can eat, breathe, move, and grow but that not all animals are mammals, the book introduces several members of the animal kingdom in reverse order of their proximity to mammals on the taxonomic tree. An earthworm, for instance, is an animal, but it is soft inside and out, whereas mammals have some body parts that are hard. Similarly, ladybugs have hard body parts, but they're only on the outside, unlike mammals', which are mostly on the inside. Thus largely eschewing scientific vocabulary in favor of clear explanations (the terms vertebrates and invertebrates are introduced in a diagram in the backmatter), Rockwell's text focuses on the concepts. The fine-lined ink-and-watercolor illustrations are as clear and straightforward as the text, with the carefully labeled renderings of the animals examined particularly meticulous. Occasional, supplementary text in a smaller type provides further information, such as the facts that whales breathe through blowholes and snakes usually have just one long lung. The family is an interracial one, with a white dad and brown-skinned mom who is seen nursing a baby in the final spread, underscoring humanity's kinship with our fellow mammals. A clear, respectful introduction. (further facts, references) --Kirkus Reviews In this gently illustrated companion to A Bird Is a Bird, a father takes his son and daughter on a walk with their dog through the farm and woodland near their home. As they explore, Rockwell introduces the characteristics of mammals (such as having a skeleton and spine, being warm-blooded, and breathing air) and asks readers whether certain animals meet the criteria: A ladybug is an animal. A ladybug has body parts that are hard. But is a ladybug a mammal? No! Animals that do fit the bill include humpback whales, harbor seals, white-headed capuchin monkeys, and African elephants. While readers may need clarification that not all of the featured animals share a habitat--and don't all live in places like the area the characters are exploring--they'll learn plenty about the ways that animals are categorized and classified. --Publishers Weekly

Quiet, pleasing ink-and-watercolor pictures illustrate the text, and an attractive two-page classification chart shows 'Life on Earth, ' divided and subdivided into categories. This picture book provides young children with a simple, informative, age-appropriate introduction to mammals. --Booklist Largely eschewing scientific vocabulary in favor of clear explanations (the terms 'vertebrates' and 'invertebrates' are introduced in a diagram in the backmatter), Rockwell's text focuses on the concepts. The fine-lined ink-and-watercolor illustrations are as clear and straightforward as the text, with the carefully labeled renderings of the animals examined particularly meticulous. . . . A clear, respectful introduction. --Kirkus Reviews Ink-and-watercolor illustrations are detailed and complement the text nicely. . . . A solid option for classrooms and libraries --School Library Journal [Readers will] learn plenty about the ways that animals are categorized and classified. --Publishers Weekly

Author Information

Lizzy Rockwell is the daughter of highly acclaimed children's book author and illustrator Anne Rockwell and art director and illustrator Harlow Rockwell. She has illustrated more than thirty children's books, including some in collaboration with her mother, and has written and illustrated several of her own, including A Bird is a Bird and Plants Feed Me.  She lives in Connecticut.  Find her online at https://www.lizzyrockwell.com/

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