Supermoms!: Animal Heroes

Animal Heroes

by Heather Lang, Jamie Harper

In comics-style panels full of facts and humor, this lively picture book investigates the amazing lengths animal mothers go to in caring for their young.

An emperor penguin mom treks up to fifty miles to bring food to her hungry chick. A toothy American alligator carefully carries hatchlings in her mouth, shuttling them safely to the water. A piping plover uses her best acting skills to feign an injury, luring predators away from her offspring. Whether building elaborate burrows, forgoing food for months on end to feed their cubs, toting hundreds of spiderlings on their backs, conducting patient swimming lessons, or fearlessly kicking away hyenas, mothers in the animal kingdom—whatever their species—give it their all (and then some!) to keep their little ones safe, fed, and ready to face the world on their own. This first book in a young series on animal science includes in its back matter a look at the “super” qualities of some of the animals and offers a collection of resources for budding naturalists.

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

40 pages, Hardcover

Published March 7, 2023

About the author

Heather Lang writes picture books that celebrate our natural world and biographies about women who overcame extraordinary obstacles to follow their dreams. Her award-winning books include Supermoms!: Animal Heroes, Swimming with Sharks: The Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark, and The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest, an NSTA/CBC Best STEM Book and Green Earth Book Award winner. To research her books, Heather has observed animals in the Serengeti, climbed to the treetops of the Amazon, and explored the depths of the ocean. You can read more about Heather’s books and find lots of activities and resources for them at heatherlangbooks.com.

Reviews

[Jody Kyburz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This informational picture book has great examples of the great lengths animal mothers go to in order to protect their offspring. SPOILER ALERT: I had no idea alligator mothers determine the gender of their hatchlings depending on the temperature of the nest they build (amount of vegetation piled up) for their babies. The end matter was particularly good and interesting...which leads me to ask, "Why didn't you just put those cool facts on the page in the book?" I felt like I read another version of the same book just by reading the end matter.

[books.bintulu · Rating 5 out of 5]

June 2023: Supermoms! Animal Heroes

Do you know that animal moms are not only good at feeding their babies? They are also excellent at building shelter, transporting and protecting their offspring from predators. Wow!

We truly enjoy this book! The new knowledge about animals is priceless! We also discovered (and googled😅):
🐾strawberry poison frogs -cute but poisonous
🐾white-spotted cichlid - is a fish
🐾bearded capuchin monkeys - you can find in Brazil.

This book has amazing illustrations and funny conversation a mom animal probably has with her babies. My girls giggle a lot!

My favourite is 'Supermoms Make Super Teachers' featuring the orang utan, river otter and bottlenose dolphin. It conveys a message that even animals teach their babies to survive.

While enjoying the story, there is also a reference page at the end of the book (which I appreciate in my quest to answer the girls' follow-up questions😆)

Thank you #pansing @definitelybookskids for this copy. This book is available at all good bookstores.

"Supermoms are everywhere!"

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Heather Lang and Jamie Harper for this hilarious take on the mothering styles of creatures around the globe! The children in my preschool classes loved this as a read-aloud, then lined up to take it off the shelf to page through on their own. From kick-boxing kangaroos to alligators offering toothy transport, the book explorex specialized adaptations that animal mothers use to keep their babies safe. Speech bubbles offer laugh-out-loud commentary from the babes, and Harper's accurate and whimsical illustrations make the book relatable for story-time audiences as well as young readers. Great fun for kids and their adults, this book also opened a discussion with my preschoolers about their own families' diverse strengths.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

With full color comic strip panels and text bubbles we learn fascinating and fun facts about animal mothers. A wide variety of species are included in this hybrid nonfiction picture book which shows amazing ways the mothers build shelters, feed, and protect their offspring. The humorous responses of the young animals will entertain readers as they learn information about the impressive mothers.

Tie-in with science lessons about adaptation and habitat, Mother's Day, and Bible lessons about the diversity and wonder of creation.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun facts are paired with quips that feel more like observations from sassy animals. I think I would have preferred photographs instead of illustrations so that readers could see what the real animals look like. I also would have preferred if this book either went the "aren't moms are amazing!<3 <3 <3" Mother's Day gift route, or else upped the humor. Like the baby penguin saying, "I hope she brought dessert," or the baby alligator riding inside its mom's mouth thinking, "I hope you flossed," slows down the pace rather than adding big laughs. Meh.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Animals are pretty impressive moms. The authors highlight all of the super ways different species house, transport, feed and protect their young. The text is succinct but shares fascinating information. The illustrations have a comic book style that adds humor and flair to the supermoms' feats of parenting. A great book for kids who love animals any day of the year. 

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun profiles of unusual animal mother behavior. To avoid inadvertantly sparking a misandry/misogyny debate (prejudice against men/women), pair this read with the co-authors' companion book, Superdads!: Animal Heroes.

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moms everywhere, unite! Whether it's the human kingdom or animal kingdom, moms really are super! Perfect for animal adaptations and parent-offspring traits units.

[Roxanne Troup · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun facts shared via comic-style panels with funny animal speech bubbles. Sure to be a favorite in the classroom.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, lively, colorful exploration of the mothering habits of 18 different animal species.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learn about animal Moms in this hybrid picture book/graphic novel.

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun expository nonfiction about animal moms. Great addition to a Mother's day storytime. Recommended for prek-2nd grade.

[Lil M’s Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute and educational! Lots of vocab that your kiddo doesn’t hear everyday

[Noelyn Zink · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about mom in nature. It covers all kinds of animals like giraffes and birds and how they protect their animals in the wild. I think this would be a fun read with children and it is also educational.