Safe, Warm, and Snug, by Stephen Swinburne. I mean, the title alone is adorable enough, right? You'll love the cozy illustrations, too, of various mommy (and daddy) animals protecting their babies, each in their own, unique ways (snakes coiling around their eggs, kangaroos with joey-filled pouches, etc.) Besides snakes & roos, kids learn about bats, sloths, fish, toads, insects, and seahorses, and some of their wonderful adaptations. Fun (and educational!) A sweet, sweet book.
Owl Babies, by Marin Waddell. Another truly sweet, sweet book, with really lovely illustrations. This one's about a family of owls (three babies and a mom.) While Momma Owl goes out to fetch some food, the babies get nervous ("I want my Mommy!" is the refrain, here.) In addition to being a great introduction to owlish topics (What are nests? What do owls eat for food? What does "nocturnal" mean?) this book is a great starting-off point for discussing how families are different (there's no mention of a daddy owl in this book.) I especially like to use this book at the start of the school year, when some kidlets are feeling apprehensive about being away from Mom for the first time (Momma Owl comes back at the end, and the kids make that connection.) After reading the book, and without prompting, the "older, wiser" 5-year-olds always, without fail, comfort the younger ones by sharing their feelings with anecdotal stories along the lines of "when I was little" (heehee) "I was so scared whenever my mom would leave me, but she always comes back, and now I don't get scared at all!" Reassurance from peers speaks louder than anything grownups come up with. This book is great on many levels :)
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