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My First Day
The first day of life is different for every animal. Human newborns don’t do much at all, but some animals hit the ground running. The Caldecott Honor–winning team Steve Jenkins and Robin Page apply their considerable talents to revealing how twenty two different species, from the emperor penguin to the Siberian tiger, adapt to that traumatic first few hours of life, with or without parental help. Jenkins’s vividly colorful cut-paper illustrations are eye-poppingly three-dimensional and as exquisite as ever. While the text is short and sweet, an illustrated guide provides descriptions of the twenty two animals in the back.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
14 people are currently reading
855 people want to read
About the author
Steve Jenkins
135 books238 followersSteve was born in 1952 in Hickory, North Carolina. His father, who would become a physics professor and astronomer (and recently his co-author on a book about the Solar System), was in the military and, later, working on science degrees at several different universities. We moved often. Steve lived in North Carolina, Panama, Virginia, Kansas, and Colorado. Wherever he lived, he kept a menagerie of lizards, turtles, spiders, and other animals, collected rocks and fossils, and blew things up in his small chemistry lab.
Because he moved often, Steve didn't have a large group of friends, and he spent a lot of time with books. His parents read to him until he could read himself, and he became an obsessive reader.
His interest in science led me to believe that I'd be a scientist himself. At the last minute, he chose instead to go to art school in North Carolina, where he studied graphic design. After graduation he moved to New York City, where he worked in advertising and design, first in large firms and then with his wife, Robin Page, in their own small graphic design firm. Robin, also an author and illustrator, is his frequent collaborator — they've made sixteen children's books together.
Their daughter Page was born in 1986 and our son, Alec, two years later. They began reading to them when they were just a few months old, and Steve became interested in making children's books himself. My wife and I read to our two older children almost every night until hisdaughter was 12 or 13, long after they were reading on their own. It was, in many ways, the best part of the day.
In 1994 they moved to from New York City to Boulder, Colorado, where they work in a studio attached to their house, which was built in the 1880s and often functions as if it were still the 19th century.
Their youngest son, Jamie, was born in 1998. The questions his children asked over the years have been the inspiration for many of their books.
Librarian's Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
Because he moved often, Steve didn't have a large group of friends, and he spent a lot of time with books. His parents read to him until he could read himself, and he became an obsessive reader.
His interest in science led me to believe that I'd be a scientist himself. At the last minute, he chose instead to go to art school in North Carolina, where he studied graphic design. After graduation he moved to New York City, where he worked in advertising and design, first in large firms and then with his wife, Robin Page, in their own small graphic design firm. Robin, also an author and illustrator, is his frequent collaborator — they've made sixteen children's books together.
Their daughter Page was born in 1986 and our son, Alec, two years later. They began reading to them when they were just a few months old, and Steve became interested in making children's books himself. My wife and I read to our two older children almost every night until hisdaughter was 12 or 13, long after they were reading on their own. It was, in many ways, the best part of the day.
In 1994 they moved to from New York City to Boulder, Colorado, where they work in a studio attached to their house, which was built in the 1880s and often functions as if it were still the 19th century.
Their youngest son, Jamie, was born in 1998. The questions his children asked over the years have been the inspiration for many of their books.
Librarian's Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
October 21, 2013
This is an entertaining book that examines the first hours/days of various animals' lives. Each page offers a different animal and shows how the abilities, levels of maternal care, and environment in which the animal is born varies greatly throughout nature.
The narrative is short and is appropriate for children of all ages. And the multi-media illustrations are just as wonderful as we've come to expect from books by Steve Jenkins. And we all learned about a few animals we'd never heard of before.
We appreciated the expanded information provided about each animal in the back of the book - it allowed us to learn more about the animals without adding too much text in the main pages of the book. We really enjoyed reading this book together.
The narrative is short and is appropriate for children of all ages. And the multi-media illustrations are just as wonderful as we've come to expect from books by Steve Jenkins. And we all learned about a few animals we'd never heard of before.
We appreciated the expanded information provided about each animal in the back of the book - it allowed us to learn more about the animals without adding too much text in the main pages of the book. We really enjoyed reading this book together.
November 19, 2013
Love this idea! It's really fun and interesting to see how various animal babies spend their first day. From the baby giraffe who drops five feet to the ground at birth, to the Darwin frog who emerges from its father's mouth, to the wildebeest ready to run after its parents in the ever-moving herd, they arrive in many ways and some are more ready for life outside the womb (or egg) than others. Humans might identify more with the Siberian tiger or polar bear cubs, snuggled up with mama. I knew about many of the animals' birth situations already but some were new to me (like the amazing Parent bug!) A fascinating and adorable collection of creatures and their babies!
February 6, 2013
This may be my favorite of Jenkins' works, so far. I liked the subject, especially as my new niece was just born a few days ago. The illustrations were adorable. Information simple and easy to follow for a younger audience. More information in the back for those who wish for more. A great lap-read with a little one. Good read-alone for those interested in animals.
June 30, 2020
Workmanlike and insufficient. Even the youngest children deserve more than this simple list... no patterns of animal families or geographical regions, no bibliography, nothing to help a learner master the material or be inspired to find something more.
And wrong about the wood duck - one doesn't leave on its very first day, but they leave together the next morning. Otoh, there was too much "after a time" and "when I'm old enough"... arg. At least this one, unlike Time to Sleep and Time to Eat, had a narrative of sorts, and presented the material in a way that is more likely to stick in a young learner's mind.
And wrong about the wood duck - one doesn't leave on its very first day, but they leave together the next morning. Otoh, there was too much "after a time" and "when I'm old enough"... arg. At least this one, unlike Time to Sleep and Time to Eat, had a narrative of sorts, and presented the material in a way that is more likely to stick in a young learner's mind.
March 21, 2013
Anytime I see a new Steve Jenkins picture book, I immediately place a hold on it at the library. Why? Well, his books are educational, interesting, and include great art. My First Day doesn't have the "wow factor" that The Beetle Book and Actual Size did. There are no big fold out pages, no "whoa, the bug is THAT BIG?!" comments. The art is great, with Jenkins' signature realistic collage style, but nothing really inspires awe. Still, there are a lot of cool facts that I learned about animals' first day out in the world (a pretty cool topic, and one that I think will be of interest to lots of kids). For example, a mother zebra memorizes her baby's stripes so that she will be able to find him in a crowd of hundreds of zebras. There's Darwin's frog, who stays in his father's mouth until just the right time and the Siberian tiger whose eyes are shut at birth. Some of the animals (bats, giraffes) will be familiar to readers, but many of them, such as the muntjac or megapodes, will be new. There's a great variety represented here. And while there isn't necessarily AWE-inspiring art, there are plenty of AWWW-inducing super cute images. Highly recommend for young kids.
Storytime possibilities: animals, babies, number one
Ages: 3-6
Storytime possibilities: animals, babies, number one
Ages: 3-6
December 22, 2017
This was very good, appropriate for younger readers. It's not as much fun as Jenkin's How to Swallow a pig but also not as long or potentially scary. The baby animals are mostly cute and there's a wide diversity in how equipped they are for their first days.
This one is not as wordy as some of his other ones. My 6 year old daughter enjoyed it quite a bit, but it was a pretty quick read for her.
This one is not as wordy as some of his other ones. My 6 year old daughter enjoyed it quite a bit, but it was a pretty quick read for her.
June 25, 2013
Every time I think that Steve Jenkins has run out of ideas for his informative nonfiction books, he surprises me. But this title provides excellent evidence that he continues to draw inspiration from the ever-fascinating world around him. Using his trademark torn- and cut-paper collage illustrations, he depicts various newborn animals, including a kiwi, a blue wildebeast, and Darwin's frog, among others. After discussing what human babies can do on the day they are born, the text, written by Jenkins and wife Robin Page, describes other first days. Readers will be impressed by the amazing illustrations and intrigued by all the facts provided in this book. As usual, the thumbnail sketches in the back provide additional information about each animal. When they close the book--IF they can bear to close it!--readers are likely to ponder just how different first days are for various species. Some are expected to make it on their own, swimming when they are only hours old while others are sheltered by their parents for long periods of time. This is an essential title for any science classroom.
July 4, 2014
We love Steve Jenkins and Robin Page at our house. Every time I see their names on a book, I know it will be a hit...and this was no different. I love that they used a combination of very familiar animals (zebra, giraffe, polar bear) and lesser known animals (parent bug, megapodes, muntjac, and Darwin's frog). The focus of describing their first day of life leads to great detail. Paired with additional nonfiction texts, students could write compare/contrast essays about how babies spend their first day of life or how animal parents care for (or in some cases, don't care for) their young. The illustrations are wonderful, and we love reading the additional facts at the back of the book. Another winner!
February 7, 2013
What a cool concept for a book! The author introduces a variety of animals and discusses what babies of each species introduced does on the day of its birth. Torn and cut paper collage artwork brings each animal to life in an almost photo-realistic way. Text winds around illustrations, is simple yet informative, and makes for a good read aloud. At the end of the book, more information is given on each animal accompanied by a small picture to refresh readers' memories.
A GREAT read from an ever-impressive author/illustrator duo. Must read/see!
A GREAT read from an ever-impressive author/illustrator duo. Must read/see!
May 29, 2013
Wonderful comparison of baby animals and the things they can (or cannot) do when they are first born. I learned something - a rare deer from China that is omnivorous and eats small mammals? Wow. And a bug actually called the Parent Bug. At the back of the book, little vignettes of each animal satisfy the reader's curiosity. Very well done.
September 25, 2014
Highly interesting facts pair with paper collage to highlight the first few hours of the lives of a variety of (extra cute) newborn animals. Everyone is familiar with giraffes but did you know that at birth they fall out of their mother from about 5 feet in the air? There are also less common varieties such as the muntjac, a rare deer from Southeast China that only grows to 18 inches tall.
September 11, 2015
4.25 stars It is official.... Steven Jenkins and his wife Robin Page are the Royalty of non-fiction narrative. I love the pictures-love! What I also like is that it teaches ME about new animals. The Sifaka and megapodes and muntijac . Just fun to read and a feast for the eyes! I love the cut out technique!
March 28, 2013
This is the kind of nonfiction you can easily work into your read-aloud rotation. Always love the cut-and-torn paper collages.
May 15, 2013
I like that the animals portrayed are unusual/unfamiliar to most US readers.
May 1, 2021
The first day of a brand new life is incredibly exciting. But what do animals get up to on their first day? Humans don’t do much on their first day - most cry, have a little look at the world, maybe a sip of milk and then sleep. Some animals do even less than humans, having to wait patiently for their eyes and ears to open. Then there are those that have a rather more lively start to life - they can walk, swim and fly from almost the moment they are born. Some animals have a nurturing parent to raise them, clean them, fed them and protect them whilst others are on their own from day one.
This is such a cute book that explores what various animals get up to on their very first day. The book begins with a question, “What did you do on your first day - the day you were born?” We then meet twenty-two different animals who each explain their first day on Earth. Readers learn that animals enter the world in different ways: kiwis peck their way out of an egg, giraffes drop to the floor and the Darwin’s frog hops straight out of daddy’s mouth. And once everyone is in the world the first day begins.
There’s leaping, walking, swimming, flying, hiding, swinging, eating, diving and plenty of other things to be done. We meet sleepy sea otters, piggybacking sifakas, chatting California sea otters, snuggling emperor penguins, walking giraffes, dashing leatherback turtles, swimming capybaras, megapodes that walk, run and fly and a host other animals that get up to all sorts on their very first day.
Each animal is delightfully illustrated and is accompanied by short informative text. At the back, an illustrated guide provides further information on each animal.
A gorgeous book that is fun and educational. Young animal lovers will thoroughly enjoy learning what some animals get up to on their very first day.
Recommended for 5+.
This is such a cute book that explores what various animals get up to on their very first day. The book begins with a question, “What did you do on your first day - the day you were born?” We then meet twenty-two different animals who each explain their first day on Earth. Readers learn that animals enter the world in different ways: kiwis peck their way out of an egg, giraffes drop to the floor and the Darwin’s frog hops straight out of daddy’s mouth. And once everyone is in the world the first day begins.
There’s leaping, walking, swimming, flying, hiding, swinging, eating, diving and plenty of other things to be done. We meet sleepy sea otters, piggybacking sifakas, chatting California sea otters, snuggling emperor penguins, walking giraffes, dashing leatherback turtles, swimming capybaras, megapodes that walk, run and fly and a host other animals that get up to all sorts on their very first day.
Each animal is delightfully illustrated and is accompanied by short informative text. At the back, an illustrated guide provides further information on each animal.
A gorgeous book that is fun and educational. Young animal lovers will thoroughly enjoy learning what some animals get up to on their very first day.
Recommended for 5+.
September 16, 2017
"My First Day" tells readers about what baby animals do on their first days. It tells what various baby experience during their first day on this Earth. I like this book because it introduces readers to animals that they may not be familiar with. I also like it because it shows students how different the first days can be for the varying animals. The book introduces animals such as sifakas, emperor penguins, capybaras, Darwin's frogs, and musk ox. I would use this lesson in a younger grades classroom during the first day of school. I think it would be cool to let them read about animal's first days and then read they could write or draw about their first day of school. It could also be helpful to introduce life cycles of animals to the children, because it allows them to see where the animals are coming from.
October 5, 2020
Genre: Nonfiction - concept book
Awards: None
Source: Textbook
Audience: Grades Prek - 2
Response:
The topic of this book is what babies do when they are born, both humans and animals.
The text is simple and clear. Rather than listing facts about how each animal is born, the author presents the information from the animal’s point of view and in story-like form which keeps the reader engaged. For example, an otter says, “On my first day, my mother held me close so I wouldn’t drift out to sea.”
The author pairs each description of how an animal was born with a picture that is representative of the animal’s first day alive.
I would use this book in a unit over animals. This is a good concept book that allows children to see how different animals live and care for their babies. It allows children to compare and contrast how themselves and animals behave when they are born.
Awards: None
Source: Textbook
Audience: Grades Prek - 2
Response:
The topic of this book is what babies do when they are born, both humans and animals.
The text is simple and clear. Rather than listing facts about how each animal is born, the author presents the information from the animal’s point of view and in story-like form which keeps the reader engaged. For example, an otter says, “On my first day, my mother held me close so I wouldn’t drift out to sea.”
The author pairs each description of how an animal was born with a picture that is representative of the animal’s first day alive.
I would use this book in a unit over animals. This is a good concept book that allows children to see how different animals live and care for their babies. It allows children to compare and contrast how themselves and animals behave when they are born.
November 20, 2019
This book is about animals first days on Earth. It explains the experiences they had and the things they had to do in order to be safe, learn, and be sound on their first days. It shows the people in their lives who helped them survive and get past their first days. I'd use this story to teach children more about animals and the processes they go through as a newborn. I'd ask children if they've heard of these situations occurring such as a baby bird cracking through its egg shell to get out. I'd ask children what they thought they may have gone through as a newborn and who helped and supported them in ways similar to the animals shown in the book.
May 11, 2021
This is wonderful book for children to learn how each animal spends its first day. Hatching out of an egg, swimming, falling to the ground, hiding in grass and more. The text is short enough for toddlers and up, but interesting enough to hold older children’s attention. In the back of the book, there are shorts passages that go into more detail about the animals. It’s average weight and size, what it eats, where in the world it is found and more. My three year old was too young for that, but it is interesting for older children and also the adults. This is a great way to introduce new animals to children and discuss how different they are.
November 11, 2016
This is such a cute book to read to children that want to learn about animals as babies. The book does a great job at introducing each animals and showing how the first day of life is for the animal. The author chooses to write about different animals and it contains fun facts about them, some of which surprised me at times! This book is very informational and it even has a glossary in the back that explains each animal mentioned in the book. I loved reading this book! It was very entertaining!
June 15, 2017
This book is about the first days of all different kinds of animals. It is different for all of them, some don't do much at all and need a lot of help from their parents, and some are independent and have a lot to do by their first day of life.
The media used here seems to be watercolor.
I would teach this book reading it aloud and maybe act out the animals or ask the students to make the sound the animal makes.
The media used here seems to be watercolor.
I would teach this book reading it aloud and maybe act out the animals or ask the students to make the sound the animal makes.
October 21, 2018
This book is a very fun, educational book for young readers. It shows different animals and how they are each born. One aspect of the book that was unique and fun that I liked, was that the author introduced the book by asking the reader how they were born and what they were doing, and then gave assumptions and examples. This is a great way to catch the attention of young readers. This book had great content and beautiful, explanatory images.
November 13, 2017
Very educational book about how different animals behave on the day they are born. While some are completely helpless and need their mother's attentions, others can immediately swim/run/eat on their own. I liked that the book chose animals that are less well-known. The illustrations were interesting-reminded me of ripped paper.
October 25, 2018
This book discusses the first day of life for different animals. None of their first days are the same! The book discusses the first day of 22 different species, whether they are with or without their parents. The illustrations used in this book are bright and catch the readers attention. Great informational book!
December 20, 2018
The most adorable deer illustration I have ever seen graces the cover of this book and I'm not too whatever to admit that it is absolutely why I picked it up. Why I'm adding it here, however, is because the inside pages hold such fun facts. The vast differences between what some babies manage in their first day or even moments to other more helpless newborns is astounding and fascinating.
May 29, 2019
This was a really cute book and the artwork was interesting. The illustrations were made of cut-out pieces with different textures and colors already on them, sort of like "Brown Bear, Brown Bear", but even better. This was informative and I think would be good for young readers who are interested in animals, especially baby ones.
January 29, 2018
Steve Jenkins shows what baby animals do on their first day. Animals include a mix of types of animals such as a kiwi, Siberian tiger. wood duck, giraffe, emperor penguin, sea otter, and Darwin's frog, among others. There's not a lot of text but one can learn a lot from this book. There's also further information about the animals, their size, and habitat in the back of the book.
May 4, 2019
As with all of Steve Jenkins books, this is an excellent non-fiction book for young children. In this story, he uses the common thread of each animal's first day born to ask, "what makes us similar?/what makes us different?" The final spread includes more in-depth information about each animal.
February 1, 2021
Adorable book explaining what various animals do on the day they are born; using colorful cut paper collage for the incredible illustrations. From land, sea and sky the authors show us how the cute babies and their parents begin their new lives!
August 11, 2021
Not first day of school, as you might expect, but first day of life! This is an interesting brief look at how different species spend their first day of life. The illustrations and page design make it a pleasure to look at!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews