WILD BACKYARD

Well-known backyard animals and their immediate surroundings are represented in this beautifully illustrated board book.

Six different animals common to suburban and rural environments are presented in simple text and realistic illustrations. Meet a robin, a honeybee, a toad, a rabbit, a squirrel, and a mole. Each double-page spread of the board book is dedicated to one animal, culminating in the final one, where all are present. Though it does not detract from the book, it is of interest to note that the robin depicted is not an American robin but a European robin. The text, though short and simple, is language-rich: “TOAD slurps a fly with its long, sticky tongue”; “MOLE finds worms as it tunnels underground.” The real pride of place in the book goes to the illustrations. Done in liquid acrylics, each painting is exact to the last detail and beautiful. Unfortunately though, the book falls just short of the mark, as both the text and the illustrations are just descriptive rather than informative, thereby sparking neither curiosity nor imagination. Young readers will probably not come back for repeat readings.

Young children will be captivated by the exceptional illustrations but not much more