Your kids may be familiar with the names of some baby animals, like kittens and piglets. Sure, those are easy. Bonus points if they know calf or foal. But I’m willing to bet that they (and probably you, too!) have no idea what kind of animal young’un is called a leveret, or a puggle, or my favorite of the bunch, a cheeper. Thanks to Aaron Zenz’ latest picture book Chuckling Ducklings and Baby Animal Friends, my kids and I are newly informed and still giggling over the cuteness of these little ones.
With each page turn, young readers are introduced to a new baby animal, starting off with some that will probably be familiar. Giggles will likely ensue when multiple animals share the same name, as it did with my kids when we read the word “cub” four times on one page featuring a raccoon, a bear, a panda, and a tiger. Silly, right? Zenz even gets a little tricky when he shows both a baby female and male horse, which technically are both referred to as foals, but each has its own gender-specific name, too. (Do you know them?)
My kids have been long interested in birds, and the two-page spread that features a whopping eight baby birds, each sitting atop a parent, introduced several new words to all of us. (I’ll tell you that the cheeper is featured on this page, but I’m not giving away what it is!)
The text consists of only a few words on each page, introducing over 50 different animals, but the true delight is found in the illustrations. The animals ooze adorableness, and Zenz’s colored pencil artwork has total kid appeal. For families looking for a little giggly reading fun that introduces new words, and possibly even a few new animals, be sure to check out Chuckling Ducklings and Baby Animal Friends. And for you avid book blog readers, Aaron Zenz and his children regularly post at Bookie Woogie, where they have delightful conversations about children’s literature.
**The 5 Minutes for Books team are happy to be a part of Scholastic’s Parent Circle. Each month, one of our reviewers will select a book from that month’s Scholastic Book Club flyers. I selected Chuckling Ducklings and Baby Animal Friends from April’s Honeybee flyer.
We are happy to offer a paperback copy of this cute picture book as featured in the Scholastic book club flyer to one lucky reader. Leave a comment to enter, and we’ll announce our winner in our book column on 4/9.
The winner of How Not to Kill Your Baby is #49 Eileen.
5 Minutes for Books reviewer Dawn spends her days surrounded by her preschool students, and her evenings catching up with her own three kids. When she gets the chance, she blogs away at my thoughts exactly.
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{ 72 comments… read them below or add one }
That sounds like a really cute book, we’re always looking for new ones to add to our kid’s little library.
Cat Davis recently posted..Skinny Strawberry Banana Breakfast Crepes Recipe
Brilliant.
Thanks for giveaway.
We love animal books!
We love Awana … Puggles are baby platypus and the name of the Awana group for 2 yr olds!
This book looks adorable! My kids are always asking what noise an animal makes so I’m sure they would love this book!
Great for the children, thanks
Sounds like a book my 2yo would love!
Cute! Thank you for the chance to win!
Kristie recently posted..St. Patrick’s Day 2012
That looks adorable! We love the scholastic fliers every month and would love to win the Chuckling Ducklings.
zucchinisummer AT gmail DOT com
TheBargainBabe recently posted..Giveaway: Sleep Sweetly
Could the cover of this wonderful book be any cuter?!
I don’t think so… Baby animal books are always fun!
This would be such a fun book to read to my sons…
Many thanks to you!
Cindi
My granddaughter would love it. Thanks for hosting!
Twitter: jemrah1
March 26, 2012 at 3:27 pm
The illustrations are adorable ! so cute!!
My kids would love this! Please count me in for the giveaway thanks!
Margaret
singitm(at)hotmail(dot)com
Brilliant! I want in! pretty please!
paige recently posted..Monday Mommy Make It- Newspaper Beads
This sounds like such a cute book. I’d love to win it for my granddaughter!
Would love to win!
Adorable! My son would love this book!
Cute book! Would love to read this!
love to win this debbie jackson
djackson1958 at hotmail dot com
This looks like a very cute book.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
It sounds like a great book with adorable artwork. I’d love to share it with my little ones!
Looks interesting. Oh my boys will love that!
This sounds sooo cute.
Great animal picture book… My son loves animals.. Thanks for this information.
Chetan recently posted..Įrašo „Retro 70-tųjų stiliaus vestuvinė suknelė“ komentaras, kurį parašė Vestuvines Sukneles
Sweet little book for the children.
Sounds like a cute book for my nephew!
our princess loves animals and books and this I believe she would love
shopannies@yahoo.com
angie recently posted..blog hopping
This looks darling!
Christine Jensen recently posted..Lightning Tree by Sarah Dunster Book Blog Tour
My kids would love this book!
I would love to share this with my two year-old grandson (an later with the one coming in October!) Just this weekend he became more ‘understandable’. Says “Gammaw” a lot; meows all the time (don’t know why!); is fascinated by “kitty” and “puppies”.
riTa recently posted..2012 Week 12: Arts, Crafts, and Friends
What a great story book for the kids.
My little grandson would love this!
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
Thank you for the chance. Another great giveaway!
This would be a perfect book for my grandson to have fun with and learn.
Love Aaron Zenz books!
What a great book to add to any home library! It’s informational, but also oh so much fun! Thanks!
Thanks for adding your giveaway to my McLinky at http://www.frontporchreviews.com/2009/09/linky-giveaways-add-yours-here/ – stopping by from there.
Thanks for the giveaway.
Tamra Augostino recently posted..Addicted to Social Media
this book looks so cute
thanks for this giveaway!
My niece and nephew are just crazy about ducks! This would be a perfect book for them.
would love to win this cute book!
Great for the little ones to read.
looks like a cute book
nannypanpan@gmail.com
My daughter would love this!
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
Mozi Esmes Mom recently posted..Review: Action Alert
I have 8 grandchildren ,7 of whom are under the age of 6 so this would be such a perfect book to keep at my house to read to them,they love for Mamaw to read to them
vlbelk(at)hotmail.com
What a cute story, please enter me.
thanks debbie jackson
djackson1958 at hotmail dot com
This is a real sweet book,and my granddaughter would love it. Please enter me. Thanks!
ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net
This book would be a great addition to my granddaughters’ “in process” book collection!
Nice book, would be great for Easter too.
My son Jamison would love this!
Thanks for the chance to win this for my preschool classroom. It would be especially nice to use with our unit on farm animals.
We are crazy about books at our house and this one looks adorable and fun!
What a great spring time book to read.
Thanks for the chance to win!
We would love to add this book to our collection. We love to read and are always looking for quality books
This looks like a cute book!
Looks like such a cute book! Thanks so much for the chance to win!
This is such a cute book. Thank you for the opportunity to win.
marianne dot wanham at gmail dot com
Marianne Barkman recently posted..Desert Intrigue – Linda Weaver
It looks so cute. Would be a great present for my niece. Thanks
What a nice book to read to your children.
Sure to be a winner with the kid’s.
I would love to get this book for my college age daughter Kate, I have always bought her books for her Easter basket since she was a little girl. With the help of these books she teaches preschool children and is working on her Masters degree in Special Education at George Mason in Va. She has always been a reader to herself and any children she has taught. She also teaches a chapter about farm animals where this would be very helpful she really goes all out makes barns out of boxes brings in little picked fences from garden trimming for fences and all her children in her class bring in stuffed animals to put by barn. This book would be a great educational benifit for her class room library.
ps really miss the Scholastic papers coming home since my Katie has grown up, wish there was a way I could still purchase through those specials.
sounds like a cute book thanks for chance to win
ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com
apple blossom recently posted..The 13th Tribe by Robert Liparulo
looks like a super cute book
my kids would like this
I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE THIS AS A BIRTHDAY GIFT TO MY NEPHEW. HE WOULD EQUALLY LOVE IT AS WELL =)
My granddaughters would love this book. So cute!
This would be fun for my daughter. Cute!
I’d love to get this for my niece. trixpixel[at]gmail.com
I would really like to have this book. It sounds so adorable.
It would be a great book to win!