Babies on the Go [Hardcover]

Linda Ashman (Author), Jane Dyer (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up

Inside, outside, fast, or slow . . . Babies are most definitely on the move in this exuberant rhyming celebration of all the amazing ways animal parents carry their little ones.
And as for those babies? They're delighted to go along for the ride!

(20031120)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Toddlers know all about being carried, so they will immediately connect to this title that describes the different and unique ways animal mothers transport their young. In fact, text and illustrations at the beginning and end of the book include human babies, reinforcing this commonality. Unlike those creatures that "stand up right away," the majority of the animals portrayed here "need more time to grow" and must be carried on backs, latch onto tails, hang onto bellies, float along on a tail, or lie snug inside a mother's mouth. Each pair is portrayed on a full page, with a phrase underneath beginning with an apt verb, such as "nudged" or "tucked" or "boosted," that notes the attending movement. Action is also reinforced in many illustrations by an ear or a tail or a paw pushing out beyond the frame. A wide array of creatures inhabits the pages, from kangaroos to crocodiles to bats and opossums. A chart at the end identifies them all, under the heading, "Meet the Babies." The large, soft watercolor illustrations and rhyming text make this celebration of parent/child love a natural for toddler storytime, and it's also perfect for one-on-one sharing.
Jane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. This lovely picture book presents the many ways that young animals are carried by their mothers. After an opening spread picturing animals that are born almost standing up, such as a deer, a giraffe, and a hippo, the pages show the animals that "need more time to grow, so they have other ways to go": a koala rides on her mother's shoulders; a lioness and a crocodile carry their young in their mouths; and finally, a human baby rides in a stroller. Ashman's warm, rhyming text and Dyer's soft-toned, realistic watercolors create a gentle story that is also a biology lesson in disguise. The "Meet the Animals" page in the back identifies the animals previously depicted, some of which will be familiar to children while others, such as the snow monkey and the anteater, may not. As a lap sit or read-aloud, this will encourage youngsters to talk and share what they know about the animals, and they'll like the book's reassuring message: "On the ground or high above, Babies always ride with love." Helen Rosenberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152018948
• ISBN-13: 978-0152018948
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 11.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #933,903 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Linda Ashman's books have been named to the "best of the year" lists of the New York Times, Parenting Magazine, Child Magazine, New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the IRA/CBC and more. Her poetry and rhyming picture books have been called "as pithy and clever as Ogden Nash at his best" (Kirkus), and reminiscent of Mary Ann Hoberman, Douglas Florian and Jack Prelutsky.

Linda lives in Colorado with her husband, Jack Hicks, their son Jackson, and their two dogs. Visit www.lindaashman.com for more information.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful animal illustrations, February 15, 2006

By 

K. Covington "YA Librarian" (Mississippi, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Babies on the Go (Hardcover)

My 22-month old loves any book that includes animal illustrations and this is a recent favorite. His favorite part is the last page which introduces all the animal babies that were pictured throughout the book. He likes to repeat each name as we say them. However, he does seem to be disturbed by the picture of the mother lion carrying her cub in her mouth. He always wants to look at that picture the longest and he keeps saying "Bite" over and over. We've tried to explain that this doesn't hurt the baby, but it still bothers him. There is also a picture of a mother crocodile carrying her baby in her mouth, but for some reason, this doesn't bother him. Otherwise, we really enjoy this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, gorgeous illustrations!, December 1, 2005

By 

Christine Gresser "christineinvirginia" (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Babies on the Go (Hardcover)

This is my almost-two year old daughter's favorite book these days. She asks for it every night ("Babies Onna Go!") and she loves to point out all the animals, and she "reads" (says) the last word on each page. She now recognizes the previously unfamiliar animals (bats, opossums, etc.) when she sees them in pictures or books elsewhere. The story is cute, the rhyming is appealing, but it's the gorgeous watercolor illustrations by Jane Dyer that really make this book an all-time favorite. If your child is attracted to animals and beautiful artwork, buy this book!

5.0 out of 5 stars Very cute and sweet little book, August 16, 2010

By 

UrbanMommy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Babies on the Go (Hardcover)

My one year old daughter loves this book. It's one of the few that she will quietly sit through from beginning to end and pay attention to. There are lots of animals in this book, but her favorite pages are the ones with human babies.
This book has a very sweet, rhythmic, and gentle tone to it, and a sweet ending.