Baby Koala

The baby koala waits until she is six months old before she emerges from her mother's pouch. The baby isn't that curious about the outside world at first, but she's content to go along for the ride in Mother's pouch. Later she'll ride piggyback as they search the trees for the most tender eucalyptus leaves. But one day soon the youngster will have to face one of the greatest dangers in a koala's life - fire.

The baby koala waits until she is six months old before she emerges from her mother's pouch. The baby isn't that curious about the outside world at first, but she's content to go along for the ride in Mother's pouch. Later she'll ride piggyback as they search the trees for the most tender eucalyptus leaves. But one day soon the youngster will have to face one of the greatest dangers in a koala's life - fire.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4-These titles pair excellent-quality, never-before-published photos with simple texts. Brief entries begin with descriptions of the author and photographer's travels to the Australian and Central American locales. The couple's journey Down Under is not particularly interesting, but the scientific information about koalas is. Their trip to Panama's rainforests could be a story on its own; they paddled over small rivers in a dug-out canoe, hiked through muddy expanses, and then climbed the mangrove trees to find their subject, baby sloths. In both titles, Lang focuses on the animals' daily lives, habitat, diet, and, in particular, their relationship to their mothers, which is charmingly portrayed in text and photograph. "Did You Know?" sections provide even more informational bits. Appealing and useful additions.-Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Aubrey Lang has been a freelance writer and photographer for more than fifteen years. A science writer and wildlife photographer for the past twenty-five years, Wayne Lynch has seen his work published in more than two dozen countries. Together they've produced nearly forty titles for children and adults, and countless articles in well-known nature magazines, including Ranger Rick, Owl, Wild, National Wildlife and Canadian Geographic.