Aussie water babies by Julia Murray illus.

This companion board book to Aussie baby animals uses just two colours (black and white) and is designed with new borns in mind. They have not yet developed their eyesight and so these two books allow them to see the two basic colours, while helping along their cognitive abilities and encouraging their gross motor skills.

In this book, we meet penguins, sea turtles, brolgas, sharks and clownfish, all things that live in the sea and in an environment different from our own. Again the love between adult and off spring is shown in both text and image, while the environment in which these animals survive is shown.

All the while younger children are introduced to Australian marine animals, given a chance to see them and their offspring, develop some skills and learn to love books and reading with an older sibling or adult.

Themes: Australian animals, Environment, Offspring, Babies, Perception.

Fran Knight