Blog #7

Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, too?

Written and illustrated by: Eric Carle

Scholastic, Inc., 2000

23 pages

Poetry

            I chose this book because my cooperating teacher loaned me the book from her personal classroom library.  This story is about a conversation between a mother and her daughter.  The little girl in the book keeps asking her mother about animals.  She continually asks: “Do they have a mother?”  Always, her mother replies yes.  After asking about kangaroos, giraffes, elephants, swans, and monkeys, the little girl finally asks if the mothers of these animals love their babies.  The mother replies that all mothers love their babies and that she loves her daughter too!  The story is a poem that rhymes, making it fun for young children who relate to thinking about their mothers.

            The author, Eric Carle, drew the illustrations in this book.  The front cover does not say the type of medium Carle used, and I cannot figure out exactly how he made these pictures, but I assume he used watercolor or dyed paper along with paint to create these vivid pictures.  The lines on the shapes are jagged, yet smooth.  The text appears on the opposite side of the page from the illustrations in big text, making it easy to read.

            I would recommend this book for young children in kindergarten up to second grade.  The language is simple and repetitive and older children would quickly finish this book without any difficulty.  Younger children relate to the theme and content of the story.  I would use this book when teaching a science lesson about animals.  This would be the perfect introduction to get the students thinking about how animals live and take care of their young.  I liked this book because of the theme of mothers loving their children.  Also, the illustrations are eye-catching and enjoyable.  This book has won no awards.