Animal Dads [Hardcover]

Sneed B. Collard III (Author), Steve Jenkins (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 1997 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

This whimsical and intriguing picture book explores the different roles of fatherhood in the animal kingdom. Readers will learn about various animal dads and their many different parenting skills: baby-sitting - an emperor penguin dad watches over the eggs for nine weeks while the mother searches for food; hunting - a wolf dad leads the pack on hunting trips and brings meat for new pups to eat; giving birth - a seahorse mother's eggs hatch inside the dad's special belly pouch. Sneed Collard's concise, clear text and award-winning artist Steve Jenkins's informative cut-paper collages reveal unique tasks that animal dads perform in raising their offspring.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2. Animal Dads takes a refreshing look at the natural world with fathers cast in the caregiver role. Fish, birds, and mammals demonstrate a wide array of parenting skills as the male of the species protects, feeds, and teaches. Each father and his offspring are presented on a single or double-page spread, illustrated with striking, cut-paper collage figures. The large, lifelike creatures are set against backgrounds that are true to each animal's natural habitat. Representing rivers, woods, grasslands, treetops, and desert burrows, the backdrops make for an interesting and varied layout. There are two levels of text; a simple explanatory sentence in large print and more detailed information about the behavior of each animal father in small print make this book appropriate for different age groups. Mentioned briefly are dads that do not participate in the rearing of their young. As animal fathers have been overshadowed by the numerous books featuring animal mothers, this unique selection helps balance the science shelves for young children.?Diane Nunn, Richard E. Byrd Elementary School, Glen Rock, NJ
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4^-7. This attractive book presents the many roles that fathers play in the animal kingdom, leaving it to children and parents to draw analogies to their own families. Short phrases in large type serve as text for reading aloud to young children, and, for each phrase, a paragraph of more detailed information appears. This methods offers background material for adults to draw on or to read aloud to kids who want to hear more. Beautifully crafted, paper-collage artwork appears on every page. Jenkins, who wrote and illustrated Big and Little (1995) and Biggest, Strongest, Fastest (1996), creates a series of well-composed full-page and double-page pictures that make this a particularly striking-looking science book for young children. Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; First edition. edition (April 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395836212
• ISBN-13: 978-0395836217
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 10.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #626,500 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful addition to any child's library, January 24, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Dover, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Animal Dads (Hardcover)

This is one of the finest non-fiction children's books of 1997. Sneed Collard and Steve Jenkins have combined to create an inspiring and magical book - one that will stimulate discussions in living rooms and classrooms alike. The text is lively and the illustrations are awesome. Teachers will find this to be a wonderful addition to any science or social studies unit - it is a book that will be read and admired for many years. Parents will discover a plethora of opportunities to share the wonders of nature with their children via this book. In short, this book represents the best in children's literature today!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars nurturing dads, May 23, 2004

By 

KBN - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Animal Dads (Hardcover)

Though mommy-love books abound, it's rare and welcome to find a book which shows nurturing, caregiving images of fathers. This is a beautiful book, full of gorgeous illustrations and father's love. It's perfect for a new family or a classroom. -- (from a new mom and elementary science teacher)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great father's day gift!, August 25, 2010

By 

Portland_2009 (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Animal Dads (Hardcover)

I got this for my husband for his first father's day. The artwork is cute and the book discusses how different animal dads help to raise their young. This will be a great book for him to read to our son.