I received this book from the publisher to review. I did not receive any additional compensation for my review, and all opinions are my own, and are an honest assessment of my views on the book.
Baa! Oink! Moo! God made the Animals written by Rhonda Gowler Greene and illustrated by David Walker is board book designed for 0-5 years of age. The book feels weighty in the hand and may actually be a little unwieldy in the hands of a toddler. I am a reader with the tendency to smack myself in the face if i hold a book above my head, and the softer quality (feels air filled) of the front cover is a welcome preventative.
The illustrations are softly drawn with a whimsical quality, that bring feeling to the relationship between the mother and child in the story. The animals are all easily identifiable, with birds being quite a specialty.
The rhyming of the text follows an a, b, c, b pattern with scope for an animated reading and voices – always a hit with the under 5 crowd. My only critique would be that the story goes along at a rapid pace lending to a raucous reading, right up until the second to last page spread when the timing noticeably shifts to settling down the child for sleep – on a first reading this shift felt very late in the story (as a reader being aware of this shift would become easier over time) and necessitated an additional book being read to settle things down for sleep! Even one extra spread to start that softening and slowing would make this book a go to!
For the first book of 2017, this one is a winner for children who love animals and are exploring their sounds and finding their own voice. It is fun to read, and offers a message of God as creator of both the animals and the child.
Can be purchased where all good books are (published by Zondervan): Baa! Oink! Moo! God made the Animals.
Listening. Observing. Participating. Writing. Photographing. Reflecting.
Join me on Facebook Chat with me on Twitter Connect on Instagram
Anna Blanch Rabe is an Australian-born writer and photographer. She is proudly Team Rabe. You can follow her adventure on Not A Pedestrian Life, or Facebook. Quotidian Home is a place of comfort from which to show hospitality, of joining with friends for food, fun, laughter, and tears.
Save
