Baby Animal Farm by Karen Blair

Baby Animal Farm by Karen Blair is reviewed by MaryAnne Locher.

Come along, and bring a picnic lunch! We’re headed off to the Baby Animal Farm, (Candlewick Press, board book $6.99, Ages 0-3) written and illustrated by Karen Blair. It’s never too early to start developing an appreciation for books, and this one is sure to be a crowd pleaser with its traditional story line and pleasing illustrations done in lithographic crayon and water color.

Blair starts the story on the cover of the book where one of the diverse group of toddlers has unknowingly dropped his teddy bear. What a great time the friends have following in a row like baby ducks, chasing baby chicks and feeding a lamb from a bottle, all before lunchtime. There are no adults shown in this board book, just five independent little ones who settle down for a healthy lunch of fruit, cheese, and what appears to be a rice cake, while watchful puppy looks on from a distance.

After lunch, it’s back to petting and patting the kittens, piglet, and calf, until one youngster discovers he’s lost his teddy. Your little reader will love it when puppy saves the day and shows up with the teddy bear.  It’s fun but tiring playing with all those baby animals and learning all the sounds they make …

Cuddle the kittens.
Mew, mew, mew.

Pat the piglet.
Oink, oink, oink.

Touch the calf.
Moo, moo, moo.

Which is why at the end of the book five sleepy toddlers go Zzz…Zzz…Zzz…