Common Sense Media Review
Kids will love this spectacular illustrated book.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Amazing animals act out alliterative actions on each busy page in this groundbreaking alphabet zoo. Some, like horrible hairy hogs, mimic humans; others, like lions lounging in a library, are out of their element. ANIMALIA takes readers on a leisurely march through the alphabet--leisurely, because it's improbable that anyone will hurry through this spectacular oversized illustrated book.
Is It Any Good?
This book succeeds on several levels. First, it is an alphabet book that will sustain interest and guarantee frequent return visits. Second, it celebrates the richness of the English language, introducing vivid, vigorous verbs amid abundant adjectives and adverbs and nimble, notable nouns. Third, it further encourages language development by peppering background landscapes with loads of objects, inviting children to stab their fingers at the page and triumphantly call out each object's name.
Sesame Street long ago changed the process by which previously prim alphabet primers were packaged, but nothing prepared parents and pedagogues for the phantasmagorical pictures in Graeme Base's ANIMALIA. Creatures bask, cavort, devour, frolic, juggle, monitor, navigate, preen, queue (the author is British), slither, vocalize, yodel, and zigzag.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about letter sounds. After hunting for hidden objects in the book, trying hunting for objects in your home, at the park, or while riding in the car or on the bus.
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Graeme Base
- Genre : Alphabet
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Abrams
- Publication date : January 1, 1986
- Number of pages : 32
- Last updated : September 18, 2015
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate