Baby Penguin

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

The die-cut covers of these cheerful board books show each of the baby animals with its mother; the covers' flip side reveals a rear view of each animal pair. Bold shapes, outlined thickly in black, combine with an upbeat, lean text: ``Baby Lion is all wet. But Mother Lion dries her from top to tail.'' Each volume tells a variation of the same comforting story: a baby animal ventures out into the world, spends the day playing with another young animal (usually of a different species), and returns home, tired, to the soothing embrace of its mother. Playful storytelling and buoyant artwork keep these essentially similar stories from seeming repetitious. Yee's chunky figures, rendered in bright, primary colors, bring a cozy exuberance to these gentle adventures. Ages 1-4. (Jan.)

School Library Journal

PreS-A stylish set of board books that features friendly young animals exploring their habitats. Die-cut front covers introduce a bear, lion, monkey, and penguin as the curious babies each venture out on their own, looking for a friend or a snack or an adventure, and invariably get into a scrape before scrambling back to their mothers. The simple texts read somewhat like those in Derek Hall's Baby Animals (Candlewick, 1992). Yee uses bright acrylic colors and a naive style that is reminiscent of Lucy Cousins's work. Each and every object from the lumbering bear to a tiny fly is outlined in black brushstrokes to produce a bold, distinctive look. Appealing choices for toddler collections.-Linda Wicher, Highland Park Public Library, IL