Ten Woodland Babies: Over in the Forest by Marianne Berkes

Over in the forest where the clean rivers run,

Lived a busy mother beaver and her little kit one.

And what does a mother beaver teach her baby? She teaches him to BUILD--gathering branches and building a sturdy dam and den for their winter lodge.

But the woodland forest has many mothers and little ones, all learning what to do!

Mother Deer and her two fawns GRAZE on the green grass; Mother Possum teaches her three little joeys to CLIMB into a hollow tree.

Mama Box Turtle teaches her hatchlings four to HIDE, inside their shells on the forest floor, and Mother Turkey takes her five little poults out to scratch where berries thrive, while Mrs. Squirrel, with her kits six do gymnastic TRICKS in the trees.

Mother Woodpecker's seven chicks learn to RAP AND TAP on trees for their supper, and Mama Raccoon shows her eight kits how to DUNK AND DABBLE their dinners.

Mama Skunk teaches her nine kits to stomp and SPRAY!. Pew-ewww! Keep away!

Papa Fox teaches how to POUNCE on prey so his ten kits can dine in their den.

And to the familiar tune of "Over in the Meadow," youngsters can learn to count, to recognize common woodland animals, what their babies are called, and some of their signature behaviors in Marianne Berkes' joyous nature science book, Over in the Forest: Come and Take a Peek (Dawn Publications) in a rhyming song to sing along.  Berkes soft and lovely paper collage woodland animals are pleasure to see and fun to count.

But wait! There's more! Well concealed in each beautiful double-page spread is a hidden mystery animal--a tree frog, black bear, blue jay, salamander, rat snake, coyote, bobcat, red-tailed hawk, owl, and porcupine for sharp-eyed young readers to discover in the foliage. Author-illustrator Berkes has provided a singalong lesson perfect for preschool and primary classroom units on woodland animals which also includes teaching tips and music and art activities in the appendix, as well as backmatter that extends cross-curriculum teaching opportunities--a bibliography of books and websites, collage skills as well as music for the song itself.

Says Kirkus Reviews, "... Paper-collage, colored-pencil and pastel artwork is filled with gorgeous textures that echo the natural world of the forest." A first purchase for school and public libraries, and a handy home activity book.