Awards

• Keystone to Reading Book Award Nominee
• Texas Topaz Reading List

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9781541557710

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""A fun way for children to realize that animals play just like them.""—School Library Journal ""An inviting choice for animal-lovers.""—Booklist

This colorful nature book considers how and why various animals play. In most cases, a particular type of animal appears on a double-page spread with one or more illustrations and a few phrases of text. Nearby, a small red square carries a sentence or two explaining how those playful activities (tug-of-war, tag, etc.) can strengthen the animals, sharpen their wits, or improve their survival skills. For instance, in four illustrations on a double-page spread, a mother kangaroo boxes with her joey: 'PUNCH, / KICK, / SMACK-SLAP!' Within an adjacent red square, the text explains that play fighting prepares kangaroos for defending themselves against predators and mentions that mother kangaroos let their joeys win. The back matter includes information about the animals mentioned as well as a further reading list. Fun for sharing one-on-one, the book often shows animals engaged in activities that children enjoy. The lively artwork, created with 'paints, handmade textures, and digital media, ' offers energetic scenes of animals in motion. The last double-page spread shows kids playing, too. An inviting choice for animal-lovers.--Booklist -- Journal Rhinos, monkeys, elephants, and more describe how they play (and why) in this beautifully illustrated book. Each animal has a page or two to show how they play. The artwork is very colorful and conveys a sense of movement. The last page ties the narrative themes together and points out that children and animals engage in the same activities to encourage brain growth. Back matter features animal games, animal facts, and further reading. The action verbs on each page are called out in a different, large font that are easy for kids to read (race, chase; box-wrestle-tug). Some of the other vocabulary is more advanced, but could be read with help. Each page also features an orange box that describes why the animals are engaged in these specific behaviors. VERDICT A fun way for children to realize that animals play just like them. Great for libraries looking to beef up their animal collections.--School Library Journal -- Journal

This colorful nature book considers how and why various animals play. In most cases, a particular type of animal appears on a double-page spread with one or more illustrations and a few phrases of text. Nearby, a small red square carries a sentence or two explaining how those playful activities (tug-of-war, tag, etc.) can strengthen the animals, sharpen their wits, or improve their survival skills. For instance, in four illustrations on a double-page spread, a mother kangaroo boxes with her joey: 'PUNCH, / KICK, / SMACK-SLAP!' Within an adjacent red square, the text explains that play fighting prepares kangaroos for defending themselves against predators and mentions that mother kangaroos let their joeys win. The back matter includes information about the animals mentioned as well as a further reading list. Fun for sharing one-on-one, the book often shows animals engaged in activities that children enjoy. The lively artwork, created with 'paints, handmade textures, and digital media, ' offers energetic scenes of animals in motion. The last double-page spread shows kids playing, too. An inviting choice for animal-lovers. --Booklist --Journal

This colorful nature book considers how and why various animals play. In most cases, a particular type of animal appears on a double-page spread with one or more illustrations and a few phrases of text. Nearby, a small red square carries a sentence or two explaining how those playful activities (tug-of-war, tag, etc.) can strengthen the animals, sharpen their wits, or improve their survival skills. For instance, in four illustrations on a double-page spread, a mother kangaroo boxes with her joey: 'PUNCH, / KICK, / SMACK-SLAP!' Within an adjacent red square, the text explains that play fighting prepares kangaroos for defending themselves against predators and mentions that mother kangaroos let their joeys win. The back matter includes information about the animals mentioned as well as a further reading list. Fun for sharing one-on-one, the book often shows animals engaged in activities that children enjoy. The lively artwork, created with 'paints, handmade textures, and digital media, ' offers energetic scenes of animals in motion. The last double-page spread shows kids playing, too. An inviting choice for animal-lovers.--Booklist -- Journal Rhinos, monkeys, elephants, and more describe how they play (and why) in this beautifully illustrated book. Each animal has a page or two to show how they play. The artwork is very colorful and conveys a sense of movement. The last page ties the narrative themes together and points out that children and animals engage in the same activities to encourage brain growth. Back matter features animal games, animal facts, and further reading. The action verbs on each page are called out in a different, large font that are easy for kids to read (race, chase; box-wrestle-tug). Some of the other vocabulary is more advanced, but could be read with help. Each page also features an orange box that describes why the animals are engaged in these specific behaviors. VERDICT A fun way for children to realize that animals play just like them. Great for libraries looking to beef up their animal collections.--School Library Journal -- Journal Play Like an Animal! Why critters splash, race, twirl, and chase by Maria Gianferrari, illustrated by Mia Powell. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Millbrook (Lerner), 2020. $20. 9781541557710 BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3)--ESSENTIAL AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH What a fun look at the animal kingdom and an introduction to the concept of play. Any teacher in elementary could use this as an extension to the way humans interact with each other and why we do what we do. And you can twirl, slide, glide your way right out the door to recess! Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS -- Blog

Author Information

Maria Gianferrari is a community scientist, self-taught naturalist and bird nerd who holds an M.A. in Creative Writing and a Ph.D. in English. She is the author of narrative nonfiction picture books which celebrate urban ecosystems, the natural world and our wild neighbors including Coyote Moon, Hawk Rising, Whoo-Ku Haiku: A Great Horned Owl Story, Be a Tree! and most recently, Bobcat Prowling. Maria lives with her scientist husband and Maple the dog in a house encircled by trees. Mia Powell is an illustrator based in the United Kingdom.

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