Created by Laura Abbott

Close to You: How Animals Bond by Kimiko Kajikawa



Kajikawa, Kimiko. Close to You: How Animals Bond. Henry Holt & Company, 2008. 32 pages. Tr. $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8050-8123-7.

Annotation: Just like people, animals have unique ways of bonding. The parent-child relationship between different animals is explored.

Summary: The bond between parent and child is strong, even in the animal kingdom. Just like people, animals form strong attachments to each other. Crisp, charming photographs include an adult giraffe licking its baby and an adult alligator gently holding its baby in its mouth. The book ends with the special relationship between people. Additional descriptive and behavioral information on each animal is included in the end matter.

Evaluation: With large, colorful photographs the animal world is investigated. The sweet bonding that occurs between baby and adult animals is tenderly portrayed. The simple rhyming text complements the close-up photos of the animals in their natural habitats. Recommended for ages 3 to 8.

Genre / Subject: Juvenile Non-Fiction, Animals, Bonding, Family

Awards: 2009 Christopher Award – Preschool Books for Young People