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Hey, Daddy!: Animal Fathers and Their Babies

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In the animal kingdom, mommies are often solely responsible for the upbringing of their young. But daddies can, and do, help in a variety of surprising ways.
In this natural science book for children, award-winning writer Mary Batten offers a fascinating and entertaining look at paternal behavior in the animal world. From birds and amphibians to small mammals and primates, numerous examples of males caring for their young are presented in accurate and clear language. Factual information on animal development and behavior is provided throughout the text.
Illustrator Higgins Bond’s realistic and detailed illustrations accurately depict the animal families in their natural habitats, and warmly bring to life the animal daddies interacting with their babies.

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2002

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About the author

Mary Batten

38 books7 followers
Mary Batten is an award-winning writer for television, film and publishing. Her many writing projects have taken her into tropical rainforests, astronomical observatories, scientific laboratories, and medical research centers.

She is the author of many books for children. The most recent are Life in Hot Water: Wildlife at the Bottom of the Ocean (Peachtree 2021), NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12; Life in A Frozen World: Wildlife of Antarctica (Peachtree 2020) and Spit: What's Cool About Drool (Firefly 2019). Other books include: Baby Orca (Penguin Random House 2016); Rattler (Penguin Random House 2016); Please Don't Wake the Animals: A Book about Sleep (Peachtree 2008); Who Has A Belly Button (Peachtree 2004); Aliens from Earth ((Peachtree 2003) – 2006 Isaak Walton Conservation Book of the Year Award; Selected by New York City Public Schools in support of 4th grade science requirement for the study of ecosystems (Revised & updated edition Peachtree 2016); Hey, Daddy! Animal Fathers and Their Babies – Named Outstanding Science Read Aloud 2003 by the National Association for the Advancement of Science (Peachtree 2002); Wild Cats (Penguin Random House 2002); Anthropologist: Scientist of the People -- Named Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children by the National Science Teachers Association and the Children's Book Council (Houghton Mifflin 2001); Hungry Plants (Penguin Random House 2000); The Winking, Blinking Sea -- Named one of the Best Children's Books for 2001 (Millbrook Press, 2000); Extinct! Creatures of the Past (Golden Books, 2000); Baby Wolf (Grosset and Dunlap, 1998); Sexual Strategies: How Females Choose Their Mates, (Tarcher/Putnam, 1994; reprinted with new introduction by iUniverse 2008); Nature's Tricksters (Sierra Club Books/Little Brown, 1992), Discovery By Chance (Funk and Wagnalls) and The Tropical Forest: Ants, Ants, Animals and Plants (T.Y. Crowell). She has appeared on OPRAH. TOM SNYDER and various other television shows and done many radio interviews.

Her magazine articles are published in a variety of publications, including the online journal Pie & Chai, and print ppublications Cosmopolitan, Ladies Home Journal, Modern Maturity, Shape, International Wildlife, National Geographic World, ZooNooz, Science Digest, Calypso Log, and Dolphin Log.

Mary Batten was nominated for an Emmy for her work on the Children's Television Workshop's science series 3-2-1-CONTACT, and she has written some 50 nature documentaries for television series, including the syndicated WILD WILD WORLD OF ANIMALS (Time-Life Films) and others for National Geographic and Disney Educational Films.

Her magazine article for Science Digest, "Sexual Choice: The Female's Newly Discovered Role," won The Newswomen's Club of New York's Front Page Award for best feature story.

She was editor of The Cousteau Society's award-winning membership magazine, Calypso Log, for six years.

She was married to the late composer Ed Bland. They have two children.


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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Profile Image for Myka Ellenwood.
114 reviews1 follower
November 20, 2018
Genre: Non-fiction
Grade Level: K-2
I thought that this was a cute book. It shows the different types of animals that rely on their fathers to take care of them. It gave great information about animals that might not be widely known. I think this book would be a great tool to use if a child has lost a mother or is living with only their father.
Profile Image for American Mensa.
943 reviews72 followers
November 9, 2015
This book was about animal fathers taking care of their families. How they bring food for their babies and feed them.

My favorite part was when the father blue jay put his beak into his baby's mouth to feed the insects and worms. I like this part because it shows the father's love.

The main character was the animal fathers. The book tells how the main character worked hard for his family. Its a nonfiction picture book. Kids who want to be a Zoologist would love this book because the book gives interesting facts and pictures about the animal fathers.

The illustrations were so beautiful and it also helped me to learn how to draw a penguin and use different colors to make it look real.
review by Shrisha.K, 5, San Diego mensa
Profile Image for Bill Glose.
Author 11 books27 followers
August 15, 2013
This richly illustrated children’s book provides excellent information on the various roles fathers in the animal kingdom play in the birth and upbringing of their young. Batten describes many intriguing examples, such as male Darwin’s frogs carrying tadpoles in their mouths until they are ready to hop out into the world.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews

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