Basic Book Information
Author: Emily Bone Illustrator: Maribel Lechuga Pages: 14 pages Publisher: Usborne |
My Opinion
- Lots of flaps….Check!
- Lots of animals…Check!
- Lots of easy to understand facts…Check!
- Lots of colorful depictions …Check!
It’s safe to say this book was going to be a hit with my daughter before even being read to her. There are more things than just those above that my daughter enjoys about a book, but hitting those four is a pretty safe bet.
The depth is only so much—it’s a kid’s book aimed at kids ranging from a young age—but I appreciate how the author manages to still communicate a lot of interesting and useful information about different animal habitats and environments.
And if you’re not familiar with Usborne, their flaps are more than just: oh, look, there is a picture behind this. No, they really leverage the additional space. Each flap contains at least one, and in some cases three, facts about whatever is pictured behind the flap. As a former industrial engineer, I can appreciate space economy.
Overall, I found the book enjoyable to read to my daughter. She asked questions about the animals, which is what you hope for from a book like this. My only suggestion is to be careful about selecting this for pre-sleep reading since opening every flap can take some time; and if your child is like mine, he/she will want to look at every single one.
Inside the Book
Nighttime: These two pages focus on showing children where animals sleep (e.g., foxes burrow)
Oak Tree: These two pages focus on showing types of animals that live in trees (birds, squirrels, spiders, and more)
Under the Sea: One page devoted to mostly lesser discussed sea animals (butterfly fish, blue starfish, sea anemone).
Riverside: One page devoted to animals who build their homes along the river (e.g., kingfishers digging burrows and beavers piling up mud and sticks).
Bug Homes: These two pages show children different types of bug homes: different types of hives and nests found in trees, wood, stumps, dirt hills, acorns, and more.
Cold Homes: This page shows different types of arctic animals (foxes, polar bears, owls, and seals).
Hot Homes: And one page on desert life.
Deep Dark Homes: Explore what animals (prairie dogs, mole rats, badgers) live underneath the ground.
In Your House: One page to show kids what type of animals may live in their house.
Strange Homes: And the final page is devoted to miscellaneous animal homes that don’t fit into the other pages.
You can also check out this video someone uploaded that shows you every page, and even some of the flaps:
About the Publisher
I’ve known of Usborne books even before realizing they were Usborne books. But my wife is responsible for me paying specifically paying attention to them. At this point, my best guess is we have at 10-15 different Usborne titles (some STEM-related, others not), and I must say they are durable; our little one is gentle with her books, but still, it would not have been surprising to see more damage to flaps. And, the language is always accessible to younger kids without diminishing the quality of information.
I cannot recommend Usborne enough.
Images from the Book
Where to Purchase the Book
Like many books, you can always find a copy on Amazon. In this case, you can buy the book individually or as part of a collection. You can also purchase direct from the Usborne website.
Description from the Publisher
Open the flaps to look inside all kinds of animal homes—nests in treetops, deep, dark underground burrows, under the sea in a warm coral reef, and even in your own home