Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Whales and Dolphins
Illustrator: Mike Bostock
Nonfiction Picture Book
For ages 6 to 8
Kingfisher, 2011 ISBN: 978-0753464977
Many children are very surprised when they learn that whales and dolphins are not fish. They look rather fishlike, and they have fins and flukes instead of arms and legs, and yet they are mammals just like us. They breath air, they are warm-blooded, and they give birth to live young who need their mother’s milk to survive for the first few months of their lives.
In this excellent Flip the Flaps title, Judy Allen combines basic information about whales and dolphins with questions and their answers that young readers are sure to find interesting. The topics covered in the book include migration, food, babies, and talking. Each topic includes a section of background text, three questions and their answers, and several annotated illustrations. Mike Bostock’s beautiful paintings provide a perfect backdrop for the text, capturing the beauty and intelligence of these wonderful animals.
