Review Detail

ANIMAL FAMILIES features 5 easy-to-read stories about animal families. Featuring elephants, flamingos, and more the book explores the various ways that these families care for each other. There is also a page of facts included at the end of every story, talking about the real life information that was referred to in the story.

The fact files are simple additions to these stories, but they help make them feel more real. They give readers a bit more information about what they just read about, focusing on the facts that inspired the fictional stories. Personally, I found these pages to be amazing additions. They included fun facts that I hadn’t heard before and I loved when they highlighted the way that humans are trying to help!

The illustrations in these stories are stunning. Becca Hall does a wonderful job at making these animals and their homes feel alive. Simple elements like drawing the animals in motion and showing splashes and froth in the water help keep the illustrations from feeling stagnant. The illustrations also include a bunch of colors that are sure to keep younger readers entranced.

The stories are simple, but effective. Usually relating to the animals dealing with a problem, Alice Harman allows messages to feel similar without feeling repetitive. Each story feels unique, capturing the essence and priorities that the different types of animals have. The animals also have to solve their problems in different ways because animals tend to communicate and problem solve differently. It was also nice to have a story that felt lighter than the others, focusing not on a problem but rather on an “event”.

Beautiful illustrations, fun facts, and interesting stories make ANIMAL FAMILIES a perfect choice for readers that love wildlife.