Animals!: Here We Grow

by Shelley Rotner

Striking photos show 14 animals as they grow and transform in this stunning introduction to life cycles for preschoolers.

Readers follow along as a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, a tadpole into a frog, and egg into a chicken. This engaging and accessible look at natural science introduces young children to the stages of growth for a diverse variety of animals.

The bright, clean layout makes it easy for kids to follow along, while the paneled photographs allow readers an up-close look at each stage of development. Perfect for children curious about the world around them.

Shelley Rotner, a National Geographic photographer and prolific children's author, applies her trained eye for crisp colors and details in this latest book for young readers.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Nonfiction, Nature, Storytime, Childrens, Science

40 pages, Hardcover

Published March 16, 2021

About the author

When I was five, I refused to go to kindergarten. I declared it was for babies. I already knew how to read, but what really bothered me the most was that the kids mixed up the paintbrushes and colors at the easel so there was never true blue, red, yellow or green. Every time my teacher turned her back, I left the room and headed to the first grade class diagonally across the hall. Luckily, I had a friend there who happily shared her desk with me until the teacher noticed and sent me back to kindergarten. After many successful escapes, a trip to the principal and some testing, I was officially moved to that first grade class with beautiful autumn leaves painted on the door.

Reviews

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short but informative book about animals growing from babies to adults. I could see this one being a potential read aloud for a class that's learning about eggs or baby animals, or even for storytime.

[Brandon Khan]

3.5

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple descriptive text in a large font combined with spectacularly clear color photographs distinguishes this book about life cycles. Each page opening shows the life changes of an animal, along with the appropriate terms. For example "Egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly" and "Egg to hatchling to chick to bird." Wonderful, closeup photos will fascinate young children. Fifteen animals that are familiar to children are profiled, including a human child. Back matter includes a section on life cycles, a summary of the breeds shown in the book, and a glossary. This is a stellar non-fiction resource for very young children.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

From babies to adults, the text simply shows the names of the life stage "Egg to tadpole to Frog" featuring 14 different animals with great, full color pictures.

I read this with my granddaughter, and after the first - a butterfly - she took over pointing at the pictures and saying the names. We learned that a "hatchling" comes out of an egg, and we learned that - a baby rabbit is a kit and a baby horse is a foal. We even discovered a bonus picture in the appendix. The photography is beautiful, lots of different animals represented. This is an instant favorite.

Crossposted to https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very basic, straightforward book about the stages an animal takes from birth to adulthood. The text is so sparse it could be a useful easy reader, or a great non-fiction read to bring to a storytime to see if kids know what a baby cat is called, etc. The easy ones (cat/dog) are at the end, so it's a good confidence boost. The first one is caterpillar to butterfly, so this could follow a reading of The Very Hungry Caterpillar in a storytime.

Ages 3-7, or any kid who loves animals and is learning to read in English.

[Carol Farrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful, very simple book for the youngest of children to learn about animals. It encompasses both those that come from an egg, such as snakes, reptiles, caterpillars and frogs to those with live births such as people and rabbit kits and pigs. The pictures are actual photographs, which is, perfect for a book of this type as opposed to drawings. The pictures are large and uncluttered, and each animal is given to pages of their own. The most words on any page is seven. Overall, this is an excellent book that I will be using with kids.

[Alissa Tsaparikos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is filled with lovely photographs of nature as different breeds go through life cycles. It comes with short text that is clear and sussinct, making this a great choice for all ages of preschoolers. I would definitely use this in an animal or lifecycle themed storytime and use the pictures to ask children what they think each baby animal is called and what sounds they make and where they live.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really sweet nonfiction book about animal life cycles and how animals grow and change. Each page has a few words - great vocabulary about animals - labeling the stages of growth and a few pictures of the animals growing from baby to full grown. For example, the lizard page says "Egg to hatchling to lizard." It covers a wide array of animals and the photography is excellent. A great nonfiction book for preschoolers who love animals.

[Hailey Vittrup · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received this book as a DRC. This book had beautiful pictures and explanations that are educational and understandable for young children. It was a short, yet effective explanation of how animals grow up, with an ending that showed that people grow up too. I enjoyed reading it, and I know that kids will love it.

[Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super sweet beginning reader book about the life cycles of different kinds of animals. Large, vibrant photographs illustrate the stages of the cycles on each spread and the accompanying text is simple enough for very young children. Perfect for little ones learning to read as well as a read-aloud for caregivers to share.

[WhiteDF · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to life cycles for preschoolers, this book features gorgeous photographs illustrating the life cycles of 14 different animals. This title is 1 of 10 titles on the 2023 Kentucky Bluegrass Award nominee list for preschool students.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent photos command the pages. Each 2-page spread shows 3 to 6 changes a particular animal makes from it's birth to adulthood. Each is labeled and that's that. "Foal to colt to stallion."
Four pages at back have additional info on life cycles and breeds.
2-year-old approved.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Myles Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shows the different stages that animals go through as they grow and develop. The pictures are real, not illustrated. Great for curious young readers. Ages 3 to 6.

[Abby Johnson]

In simple spreads, this book shows photos of baby animals alongside the adult animals they will become. Useful for units on growing and animals.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice pictorial introduction to life cycles.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear photographs, simple text for toddlers and preschoolers.

[Kelly]

Love the photography and showing the different ages and sizes of babies up to adults.

[Awjtf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderful!

[Brigette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for toddlers and preschoolers.

[Steph]

Turn/Level: 2/2

Animals, Growing Up

Turn it into an audience quiz to see if they know the adult and baby names for each animal.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd rate this one a 3.5, and I know its intended audience will love it. Shelley Rotner's books with their accessible text and engaging photographs evoke a sense of wonder in young readers, and this one is no exception. Various sized photographs, including some that are full-page, compare and contrast 14 baby animals to the adults they will become. In some cases, as with a butterfly and a frog, the photos show several steps, making this a solid choice for inclusion in a lesson on the life cycle. There are 15 thumbnail sketches of the 14 different species featured here, each with a label with its proper name, as well as two bonus images of a fawn and a buck in the back matter, which also includes a glossary. This book is a must-have for elementary science classroom libraries. It's hard not to keep looking at those photographs and marveling at how different the animals are when they are young and when they are older. While readers may be aware of these sorts of changes in humans, one of the animals included here, they may not be as aware of how other species change over time.

The board book somehow manages to be just as appealing as the original picture book, just smaller so that little ones can grasp it more easily.

[Miss Janis the Storytime Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

fine, but I like others better.