Close to You: How Animals Bond

by Kimiko Kajikawa

Parents and their young have unique ways of bonding, especially in the animal kingdom. A baby kangaroo nestles in its mother's pouch, while a mama alligator carries her baby gently in her mouth. Polar bears cuddle, and penguin parents take turns warming their chicks in the Antarctic winter. Just like people, animals kiss, rub noses, and snuggle. Through endearing pictures and a lyrical text, Kimiko Kajikawa explores the parent-child bonds of animals...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805081232
• ISBN13: 9780805081237
• Release Date: March 2008
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.83 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 9.4" x 10.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 2

Customer Reviews

Close to You: How Animals Bond

Kajikawa's use of poetic, descriptive language coupled with adorable photos will delight both children and their parents. Elementary educators may consider using the text to model the use of interesting verbs and adjectives. Open-ended questions at the end will prompt discussion of caring as a character education trait. Finally, a picture index explaining how baby animals bond with their parents makes this an excellent choice for school or home libraries.

This is a perfect "warm, fuzzy" bedtime book!

The pictures are absolutely charming and my 3-yr. old niece just loves them. I love to "act out" the various ways of hugging and rubbing noses and so forth, which makes her laugh a lot. She loves helping me read the text to her too - a very cute rhyming verse - and asks for me to read it all the time when I visit with her. Sooo, I am bonding with her while reading a book about bonding. Neat. The author has done a great job of matching photos to text, plus there is that interesting list in the back of the book about animal gestation facts. Also, a list of questions to ask the child about who cares about them and how they show love to others. As I said - it's a warm and fuzzy book. I highly recommend it.

Great for Story Time!

As a former children's librarian, I was always looking for books that were perfect for reading to toddlers and preschoolers, and this book has it all! The photography is entrancing - gorgeous colors and simple striking presentation; the text is fun but lyrical, and it even includes a list in the back of cool animal facts, like age of an animal's independence. This is lovely for a lap sit or group reading.

Close To You: How Animals Bond

My daughter loves this book, and I love reading it with her. It is informative and sweet. Perfect for snuggling up with at bed time. Children will also love the photos of real animal mommies/daddies and babies. I recommend it highly.

Close to You: How Animals Bond

Close to You: How Animals Bond This lovely book is perfect for the young child's natural interest in animals. The photos are beautiful and illustrate both familiar and unusual animals. My grandchildren loved to see how the parent and baby animal relate, especially the alligator. It is a must-read for kids young and old.