[.ca] Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? (ISBN 0694014567)

From Amazon.com:
"Yes! A kangaroo has a mother. Just like me and you." Tremendously popular author/illustrator Eric Carle needs no introduction. Readers wait eagerly for every new picture book--and nobody will be disappointed with this one. In this Very Simple story, an unseen child asks variations on the same question: "Does a lion/monkey/dolphin have a mother, too?" The response is always the same: a big colorful "YES!" with the soothing reassurance that, "like me and you," everyone has a mother. Repetition is the name of the game, here, because nothing comforts like reiteration. Those on the verge of reading will enjoy the question and answer format, which is clearly designed to be read aloud. A list of the names of animal babies, parents, and groups is included--did you know that a group of bears is called a "sloth"? Or that a group of foxes is a "skulk"? Carle's trademark collages are as colorful and luminous as those found in any of his other well-loved modern classics (including The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Very Quiet Cricket); as usual, the illustrations are so good they're worthy of framing. (Ages 2 to 7) --Emilie Coulter

we love this book!:
Our daughter just turned 3 and she loves this book. We found a copy of this book at the library, brought it home and she loved it. This book encourages her to use her words. She even reads it to herself in her own little language. We are defenitely ordering this book today. It is also a great book for storytime (daycare setting). Other books that are winners in our home are "From Head to Toe", "Panda Bear, Panda Bear what do you see?","Polar Bear,Polar Bear what do you hear?", "Brown Bear, Brown Bear what do you see?", "Dream Snow", "The very busy spider". What we love about these books is the way the pictures are done, words, and all the animals in them. They are put together so well for children.

perfect for little one:
This is my one year olds favorite boko. He may not be the target age but he loves the repetition and all of the animals. He likes to find each one other places in his room. It also inspired his first sign -- lion.

Beautiful illustrations:
We own nearly all of Eric Carle's books, and this one, though written with a sweet message (all mommies love their babies), comes across as a bit repetitive. My two year old is not captivated by the story (each page asks the same question that is answered on the next page, using different animals each time), but she loves to look at the pictures and the book has served as a great tool for teaching the names of animal babies - the last page of the book even includes the names, if you don't know them (ie, a baby horse is a foal, but what is a baby swan or kangaroo). I'd buy the book just for this information and the illustrations.

Sweet but dull:
I bought this book for my 2 year old son because I liked the illustrations and we've enjoyed so many of Eric Carle's other books. However this one seems to miss the mark. It's very repetitive and we both find it a bit boring. There are other books with pictures of lots of animals (eg "Brown Bear Brown Bear" or "Dear Zoo") that engage Ben (and me) far more.

Poor grammar:
Though I love the concept behind the book, there is a grammatical error on every page. The correct language should be "just like you and I" (have a mother). The way every page is written implies the "you and me" are mothers. I show my son the pictures, and describe the story in my own words, but definitely do not read this one aloud.