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Children's Nonfiction Zoos

I Was Born a Baby

by (author) Meg Fleming

illustrated by Brandon James Scott

Publisher
HarperCollins
Initial publish date
Apr 2022
Category
Zoos, Animal Welfare, General, Books & Libraries, General, New Baby, History of Science, Jokes & Riddles, Zoology, Baby Animals
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780063157217
    Publish Date
    Apr 2022
    List Price
    $21.99
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780063157231
    Publish Date
    Feb 2025
    List Price
    $12.50

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Where to buy it

Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels

  • Age: 4 to 8
  • Grade: p to 3

Description

Don’t miss this irresistible read-aloud in the vein of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom—with catchy rhymes and bold, silly art about baby animals and the names they share!

I was born a baby and grew into a kid…

Soon all the other baby animals can’t help but share what they are called and what they grew up into! Readers will learn about owlettes, pufflings, and more. But when the chick, calf, cub, and pup realize they share their names with several other species, they can’t believe it. “No way! No how! That can't be true!” becomes a catchy, energetic refrain readers will love chanting.

The text invites readers to predict what the baby animal is by using context clues and checking the endpapers to see if they guessed right.

The strong rhythm and unexpected discoveries of the baby animal kingdom, plus deadpan humor and wonderfully expressive art, will spark a conversation about names and nature and leave readers wanting to read it aloud again and again.

About the authors

Meg Fleming was born a baby, but people called her Meglet (and sometimes Chick). She spends most of her time playing with words and tapping out rhythms to make books for kids like you. Meg is the author of many picture books, including Sounds Like School Spirit, illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins; Sometimes Rain, illustrated by Diana Sudyka; and Ready, Set, Sail!, illustrated by Luke Flowers. She writes from her home outside San Francisco, where she lives with her husband and three kids (all born babies) and their dog, Opal (who was definitely born a puppy).

Meg Fleming's profile page

Brandon James Scott is the illustrator of The Dog Who Wanted to Fly, a Canadian Children’s Book Centre Best Books for Kids & Teens of 2018, Snow Falls, which was selected for the 2020 Society of Illustrators’ Original Art Exhibition, and the upcoming Cow Says Meow. He is also an Emmy Award-nominated creator of the Canadian preschool television series Justin Time and is an animation director with over ten years' experience in the animation industry. Brandon lives with his family in Toronto, Canada.

Brandon James Scott's profile page

Editorial Reviews

Scott’s digitally rendered critters are wide-eyed and full of personality, and scenes vividly capture the absurdity afoot, echoing Fleming’s rhythmic prose, which emphasizes the silliness of language and introduces vocabulary-building terms. — Publishers Weekly

Cool and informative. — Booklist

This clever book is STEM for the smallest set of readers, and kids will not only enjoy a new adventure but will learn the real names of baby animals—so cute! — tinybeans.com

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