Here We Are: Book of Animals

by Oliver Jeffers

From Oliver Jeffers, world-renowned picture book creator of the #1 New York Times bestseller Here We Are, comes a charming board book companion all about the animals we share our planet with, from A to Z!

We share our planet with animals. They come in many shapes, sizes and colors. Inspired by the bestselling picture book, Here We Are, comes this irresistible alphabet book to welcome babies and toddlers to our planet.

Praise for Here We Are:

-Moments of human intimacy jostle with scenes that inspire cosmic awe, and the broad diversity of Jeffers's candy-colored humans...underscores the twin messages that 'You're never alone on Earth' and that we're all in this together.--Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

-A sweet and tender distillation of what every Earthling needs to know and might well spend a lifetime striving to achieve. A must-purchase for new parent shelves. --School Library Journal

-From the skies to the animal kingdom to the people of the world and lots of other beautifully rendered examples of life on Earth, Here We Are carries a simple message: Be kind. --NPR

-A true work of art.--Buzzfeed

-A must-have book for parents.--Gambit

-A celebration of people all shapes and sizes, and of the beauty and mystery of our Earth.--Booklist

-Something of a user's guide to being alive and to life on Earth, Jeffers brilliantly uses pen and paintbrush to explore profound and puzzling questions, establishing straight off that the wisdom imparted here is wisdom for us all.--Chicago Tribune

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens

26 pages, Board Book

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Oliver Jeffers' work takes many forms. His distinctive paintings have been exhibited in galleries worldwide, and HarperCollins UK and Penguin USA publish his award-winning picture books, now translated into over 30 languages.

In 2007, Jeffers was the official illustrator for World Book Day, and in 2008 Lost and Found became Oliver's first book to made into animation by London-based Studio AKA.

Jeffers won a NY Emmy in 2010 for his collaborative work with the artist and director Mac Premo, and in 2013 Jeffers co-directed the video for U2's Ordinary Love with Premo. Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Jeffers now lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Dhwani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is great, fun alphabet book that includes some different animals that you don’t typically see. Sure, there are familiar animals but D for Dodo, H for Hedgehog, V for Vampire Bat, X for Xerus, what is a Xerus? He looks like a squirrel to me. Actually, a Xerus is an African ground squirrel, that has spiky fur, short ears and long tails that live in Africa. That’s what I like about Oliver Jeffers, he makes me think, he opens up my eyes to see the world in another light.

You have to love the way this book feels in your hands, the thick and glossy pages will hold up to a lot of readings and the size of this book is perfect for lying down flat or for reading with someone. I like the simplicity of each page as each letter gets its own page in this book. The letter is highlighted in a hold color, the animal is drawn on the page, and then, the animal’s name is written at the bottom of the page. Sometimes a comment from the animal is included on the page otherwise, nothing extra is included on the page. There is no busy colors or no busy activity, the child can focus on the letter, the spelling of the animal’s name and the illustration. Let’s keep it simple: repetition, and recognition. The best way to help a child learn. I think this is a great ABC book for infants to any age who need to be exposed to their ABC’s. 5 stars

[Andi Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Jeffers’ illustrations. I also don’t mind uppercase and lower case letters inconsistently used (I do it myself), but they have to be recognizable. The uppercase G is difficult to identify, and I guess I would’ve issued more lowercase letters overall because those are the letters children will see the most when they’re learning to read.

[SBC · Rating 3 out of 5]

An A-Z book of animals with Oliver Jeffers lovely artwork. Sometimes these books surprise us with new X animals - this one was Xerus (looks like some kind of squirrel or chipmunk!). Also U was a (sea) urchin, which I never thought of as an animal (I always thought it was more like a kind of seaweed!), so I learned some new things.

[Alisa Cupcakeland · Rating 2 out of 5]

J'aime lire des livres pour enfants, mais celui-ci est plutôt un livre pour enfants, un alphabet avec différents animaux. J'aime Oliver Jeffers et c'est pourquoi j'ai décidé de le lire, mais il ne m'a rien laissé de nouveau à la fin.

[Andrés · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surprise! This is actually an alphabet book, too. The illustrations and format do not really resonate for me, but they may for others. I don't think the Dodo bird should be in the book; it's not a funny enough joke.

[Jj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Penguin Young Readers for the review copy.

[H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another ABC picture book. There are the usual suspects like alligators and toucans, but also xerus.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a colorful and fun alphabet book starring animals from around the world.

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alphabet animal book, Jeffers style. Mostly the typical animals (g=giraffe), but a few surprises (d=dodo who is thinking "I'm not supposed to be here.")

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, but with the warmth of all Oliver Jeffers books.

[Shaye Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like creative board books. I'd like to see more of Oliver Jeffer's work!

[Alicia Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

For: animal lovers; Jeffers fans; readers looking for an ABC book with colorful illustrations.

Possible red flags: some may find too simple.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute alphabet book

[Onix Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute read!

[Lily Hoyt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could stare at this allllll day. Dodo bird is my current fav.

[Henry Commaille · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mom says this will help me learn my animals and my letters.

[Les livres de Popo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Belles illustrations, choix inattendus d’animal tel que le tatou, le triton et la caille

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly typical alphabet book with animals for each letter. There were some nice out of the box animals featured. The pictures were cute.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the unique animal choices. But really did not enjoy the illustrations.

[Brigham Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reuses images from other books

[Ines Dias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simples e as crianças adoram 💛

[Laurence-Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Très belles illustrations !

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun alphabet board book with some interesting animals. One for each letter.