Babies in the Bayou (Hardcover)

by Jim Arnosky (Author, Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Arnosky (Beachcombing: Exploring the Seashore) looks at the littlest inhabitants of the Southern marshland, while still exposing the tooth-and-claw nature of life in the wild. "There are babies in the bayou with black and yellow tails," he writes, introducing, in turn, alligators, raccoons ("with rings around their tails"), turtles and ducklings. Arnosky portrays all the babies under the watchful eyes of their mothers ("Mother alligator guards her babies well. She lets no one come near"). But he also makes it clear this is an ecosystem, where just about every creature is some other creature's dinner. When the raccoon mother teaches her adorable babies "how to dig for tasty turtle eggs," their meal occupies one side of a spread, while more fortunate turtle babies emerge from eggs in another area of the swamp. Young alligators regard the fuzzy ducklings as potential dinner, and may be in hot pursuit as the book closes. And yet, this book never feels grim. Quite the contrary: the incantatory prose and luxurious, color-saturated artwork—reminiscent of vintage Golden Books—invites readers to immerse themselves in a mysterious watery landscape, and watch life unfold. Ages 3-up. (Jan.)
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From School Library Journal
PreSchool-K—This is a wonderful resource to use with children to illuminate the ways of nature; it's economical and rhythmic in text, and beautifully and clearly illustrated. Arnosky uses simple language and a repeated refrain to describe the animals that live in a lush Southern environment: "There are babies in the bayou with black and yellow tails" (alligators), "…with rings around their tails" (raccoons), "…with shells upon their backs" (turtles), and "…with webs between their toes" (ducks). As the gentle text guides readers through the swamp, each spread limns its scene in transparent green, yellow, and blue acrylics, framed with dark branches, grasses, and silhouetted birds and other small creatures. Use this vibrant book as a read-aloud to introduce an intriguing habitat, or pair it with Kathi Appelt's Bayou Lullaby (HarperCollins, 1995) for a satisfying storytime sojourn.—Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (January 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399226532
• ISBN-13: 978-0399226533
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #265,852 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The beautifully rendered drawings and the rhythmical text will appeal to both the child and the adult alike!, June 24, 2009

By	D. Fowler "Dragonfly77" (Vermont) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The moss dripped down from the tree while beneath them the babies of the bayou swam, walked and roamed the swampy area. The white birds walked by the some beautiful flowers. Their long orange beaks were a sharp contrast to their gorgeous white feathers. Across the way an alligator kept close watch while her babies slept on a log. One's black and yellow tail overlapped the head of a sibling. A little dragonfly sat nearby as if keeping watch on them as well. Oh, there is a baby waking. He gives a big yawn and shows off his "rows of sharp white teeth."

The mother raccoon keeps watch on her babies hiding in a tree trunk while "mother alligator guards her babies well." The baby raccoons have "rings around their tails" with a face that is "masked in black." Their mother teaches them how to get food and dig for things like "tasty turtle eggs." There are other critters in the bayou. There are little turtles who "plop in the water," and ducklings who "follow their mother through the maze of lily pads." Oooh, she spots those gators and needs to keep her babies away from them and their "rows of sharp white teeth." The bayou looks like a quiet place, but it is a very busy one teeming with babies and watchful mothers!

Every James Arnosky nature book is beautiful and appealingly written. Children and adults love the rhythmical text and gorgeous drawings. Each book is a timeless classic and never seems to go out of style. This book is a learning lesson about life in the bayou. It would be perfect as a read aloud book or could easily be used for an ecology lesson in a homeschool or classroom setting.

5.0 out of 5 stars charming book, December 4, 2007

By	Katherine Abrams (NY, NY) - See all my reviews

This is a charming book, that carefully illustrates the love between mothers and their babies. Children will love it!

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple Swamp Book, June 26, 2007

By	Jenifer Kellystrauss "Jenifer" (New Orleans, LA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My son loves to listen to this story. He points out the mothers and the babies in the illustrations. I think he likes the idea of the mothers protecting their babies. The illustrations are beautiful and the text is simple. It's a great bedtime book.

I'll use it in my classroom when we're studying Louisiana. I teach Pre-k and I think it'll be a great way to introduce the animal and plant life in the swamp.