Animal Families: River

Bristol-based illustrator Jane Ormes gives us a factual treat as we learn the Animal Family: River names whilst absorbing her works of art. Each page has fun flaps which enable us to discover the babies of each animal family. I really like the way the underside of each flap is a mirror image of the illustration on the front of the flaps rather than it being plain as it is in many books. Not only is the book interactive in this sense, it also grows vocabulary greatly for any young animal enthusiasts. We learn the correct names of mummy, daddy and baby animals and the term used for a group of them.

Jane Ormes is a printing fanatic and her illustrations are truly fascinating. For example; the feathers on the wings of the paddling of ducks and the bevy of swans have each been made up of individual feather prints, giving it a multi-layered patterned feel. Other fantastically illustrated books in this Animal Families series include: Snow, Safari, Forest, Jungle and Farm.

Picture Book / Reviewed by Jessica, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 0+