Koala

Children's Literature

This book offers an inviting introduction to the koala bear for young children. With one or two sentences on each left-hand page, and excellent photo illustrations on each right-hand page, the book works both as a simple read-aloud and as an early reader. The size of the book, roughly six and a half by seven inches, adds to the format's accessibility. Throughout the brief text, a few words are highlighted in bold lettering, and these are defined at the back on a "New Words" page. There may be no getting around "eucalyptus," the koala's main food source, or the words "joey" and "Australia," but there could be more grade level consistency among the other choices, which range from "paw," a second grade word, to "pouch," a fifth grade word. Two books and a web site are listed at the end as resources for finding out more about koalas. Photos include a wonderful close-up of the bear's two-thumbed paw, koalas eating at night and sleeping by day, and several cuddly mother-and-baby pictures. 2005, Children's Press/Scholastic, Ages 3 to 7.
—J. H. Diehl