Tough Beginnings: How baby animals survive.
by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Anna Vojtech
Henry Holt and Company: New York, 2001
ages 4-7

It was the title, "Tough Beginnings," that first caught my attention. Then, after pulling it out from the stacks and peering at the artwork and scanning the text, I knew this was the book I wanted to examine closer. The book, simply and informatively, describes what some baby animals go through in order to survive to adulthood, but something caused a feeling of unease, a nagging discord in the back of my mind. What was it?

The topic is interesting and relevant to children. Most children the ages of the target audience already know basic information about baby animals. This book adds fascinating and new tidbits of information for them to ponder and question. It also introduces specific and unusual species of animals, such as the Australian mallee fowl, the Virginia opossum, and Komodo dragons, so children begin to understand that not all birds, marsupials, and lizards are the same. The baby animals discussed represent a number of animal classes, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects, and birds, but a definition is only given for mammals.

The information is, mostly, accurate and readable, even though there are no source notes included. The only piece of information in the text I could not verify was that Virginia opossum could have up to fifty babies at one time; the largest number of opossum babies in a litter that I read was twenty-one. Each entry includes all the information needed to understand how the animal baby is in jeopardy. The text flows easily and in a natural progression. Possible new words and/or concepts are italicized and followed by a simple explanation or definition.

Each of the twelve animals is introduced on an illustrated double-page spread with the information in a text box on the recto. Each entry begins with an introductory comment in a larger, italicized, blue font. For example, the entry for sea turtles begin, "It's tough to begin on the beaches..." and Komodo dragons, "It's not easy when Dad wants to eat you..." Each comment heightens the anticipation for the information that follows. It was not readily obvious how the animals were organized. Was it animal class? No pattern emerged. Was it type of danger: environment, distance, or predator? No pattern emerges there, either. A glance at the back of the book solved the mystery; a poem was formed by stringing the introductory comments together. The last stanza to the poem introduces the thirteenth animal baby, human, and entry summarizes the purpose of the book, to show human children how much easier it is for them to grow up compared to some other animals. That uneasy feeling started to return.

The illustrations enhance both the text and the organization. Each spread illustrates most of the information in the text; the Australian mallee fowl, the cicada, the silk moth caterpillar, and the western spadefoot toad are especially detailed. The animal's habitat, the dangers they face, and other details are beautifully depicted. The illustrations go full circle (like the circle of life?) by beginning and ending at the same beach. The animals, themselves, are adorable, wide-eyed, and happy. That is it! These wide-eyed, fluffy animals do not look like they have barely survived an early demise. The romantic, human-like expressions on the animal's faces are at odds with the text and detracts from it's seriousness and factual nature. It is condescending to think children are not emotionally capable of understanding the realities of animal lifecycles. Also, by comparing humans to other animal babies, the author implies that children need to identify sentimentally and emotionally with animals in order to respect them and treat them with kindness. This idea is supported by an author's note at the end of the book. Even with these criticisms, this book offers an abundance of information in a warm and welcoming format. It can find a place in classrooms, public libraries, and homes.