Aardvarks, Disembark!

I first discovered this book at the library years ago and it quickly became my nephews' favorite. Now my own son loves it. While the book doesn't have much plot, it is excellent for young children who love animals. The illustrations are beautiful and it's great for the kid who already knows the animals at the zoo--a big step up from elephants, giraffes, and penguins.

Suprising the children by using vertically opened pages, this book begins with a simple storyline and evolves into listing an impressive range of exotically named animals. Jonas' lifelike watercolour illustrations with clean lines are given an unusual perspective through the playful use of scale and contrast of shapes. Included in the book is a good glossary of the animals named within the story, a pronunciation guide as well as a list of each animal's country of origin. I like the fact that Jonas included extinct animals in her listing which can serve as discussion sparkers on environmental and conservation concerns with children.