Whittingham, Jane. Animals Move. Picture Book. Big, Little Concepts Series. Pajama, 03/2022. [32]pp. $17.95. 978-1-77278-238-7. ADDITIONAL. GRADES TOD-K.
On each spread there is a color photo of an animal in motion, paired with a color photo of a child doing the same activity. For example, a little girl is shown in a swimming pool next to a photo of a whale with the text “Calves swim.” The brief text rhymes, and the terms for the baby animals are fun to learn. The endpapers contain photos of the animal parent and child captioned with both names, such as “Whale…Calf,” to help children learn these terms. The photos are clear, showing the animals in close-up, and the children represent various racial groups. The last page suggests related activities to do after reading, such as playing animal charades. The padded covers and plastic-coated pages are great for this young audience, who are just moving up from board books. Previous books in the Big, Little Concepts series include Bear Has a Belly (2022) and Shape Up, Construction Trucks! (2020).
Penny Peck, San Jose State University, iSchool