I came across Born in the Wild: Baby Animals and Their Parents in a bookstore in Massachusetts and was immediately drawn to the illustrations. The eyes of the baby giraffe, for example, are so intent that it really looks like the giraffe is staring right at the reader. And look at those ears! Everything about the giraffe exudes an alertness and curiosity, as if to mimic the alertness and curiosity of a child.

With simple text, each page shows the reader how different baby animals in the wild depend on and learn from their parents in the early stages of life. Text like, "The baby needs protection. The baby needs shelter. The baby needs to move..." sets the foundation for a series of beautiful illustrations of a deer and a fawn, a bear and cubs, a panda and her cub, a raccoon and kits, a lion and cubs etc..

A lovely introduction to animals from around the world and there are so many great illustrated animal characteristics to enjoy. I particularly like the facial expressions of the meerkats. (Apologies I meant to take a picture of that page.)

What are some of your favorite animal board books?