Hello, Mama Wallaroo

By: Darrin Lunde / Illustrated by: Patricia J. Wynne Meet Mama and her baby. From the author/illustrator team behind Meet the Meerkat; Hello, Baby Beluga; and Hello, Bumblebee Bat, a Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor Book, comes a simple yet informative introduction to a kangaroo-like animal from Australia, the wallaroo. In question and answer format perfect for read-alouds or story hours, readers learn basic facts about wallaroos: where they live, what they eat, when they sleep, etc. Patricia J. Wynne observed wallaroos at the Miller Park Zoo in Illinois to create the realistic yet kid-friendly illustrations. Back matter includes a few extra facts not included in the main narrative. The clear, concise language and large font and generous spacing of text will encourage emerging readers to tackle the story on their own. If you like this book, you’ll enjoy these: Meet the Meerkat Hello, Baby Beluga [TABS] Look Inside Author & Illustrator Darrin Lunde has worked as a mammalogist at the American Museum of Natural History and at the Smithsonian Institute. His work has brought him into contact with all kinds of animals, big and small, throughout the remote forests of South America, Africa, and Asia where he camped for months at a time to survey species diversity and to discover new species. Read more about Darrin. Patricia Wynne, illustrator Patricia Wynne is a well-known scientific illustrator whose art has been included in many collections and exhibited around the country. Her detailed illustrations have appeared in 90 books, including The Body Book, Tropical Rain Forest, and Hello, Bumblebee Bat, a Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor Book. Patricia lives in New York City. Read more about Patricia. Awards & Honors Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year Editorial Reviews Kirkus Reviews Preschoolers may think they know about kangaroos, but have they ever heard of or seen a common wallaroo, a kind of kangaroo? In this simple informational text, they get to meet one and conduct an interview with her. Lunde and Wynne have used this format in three previous books (Hello, Baby Beluga, 2011, etc.), and it is an effective way to convey basic facts such as: "[W]here do you live?" (Australia); "what do you eat?" (grass); and "what do you fear?" (dingoes that try to eat her). With the circle of life alluded to—and the very youngest naturalists need not worry, as Mama Wallaroo hops away when she sees dingoes—they next get to ask what is in her pouch (a baby). The questions appear in large type, with Mama's responses set off in smaller type. Mama and her habitat are realistically depicted in pencil, ink and watercolor illustrations that have plenty of "awww" power. The last spread notes that there are "about fifty different kinds of kangaroo-like animals in Australia" and provides a few more details about joeys and male wallaroos. Tots who have enjoyed the earlier titles with find this a satisfying introduction to an animal whose name they will also love repeating. School Library Journal This simple picture book answers a series of questions about this Australian animal, giving readers just the right amount of information while offering many opportunities for further exploration. The clear, lifelike watercolor, ink, and colored pencil illustrations depict wallaroos in different poses and situations, showing where they live, what they eat, and how they raise their young. The book will be effective in storytimes and for classroom units. Downloadables Download the Cover Details Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-57091-796-7 Paperback ISBN: 978-1-57091-797-4 E-book PDF ISBN: 978-1-60734-605-0 Ages: 3-7 Page count: 32 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 [/TABS]