WILD BABIES
by Seymour Simon
Simon (The Heart, 1996, etc.) introduces 13 wild animal babies—alligator, baboon, dolphin, elephant, emperor penguin, frog, giraffe, kangaroo, koala, opossum, polar bear, raccoon, and lynx—so familiar that they hardly justify the statement, ``We'll talk about some wild baby animals you may not have seen.'' Still, full-page, full-color photographs make for an appealing presentation, accompanied by the intriguing science facts and pithy comparisons for which Simon is known. For instance, opossums give birth to as many as 50 thumb-sized babies that must pull through the mother's fur to reach her pouch. The first 13 attach themselves to her 13 teats, so latecomers do not survive. He describes animal ``baby-sitting'' and penguin ``kindergartens,'' almost always alerting readers to such anthropomorphisms by placing the term in quotes. Not essential, this is still a pleasing book, facing competition from other, similar titles. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-8)