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Reviewed by:
  • My First Day
  • Deborah Stevenson
Jenkins, Steve . My First Day; written by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page; illus. by Steve Jenkins. Houghton, 2013. 32p. ISBN 978-0-547-73851-2 $16.99 R 6-9 yrs.

"What did you do on your first day—the day you were born?" Veteran chronicler of the natural world Jenkins answers this question for twenty-two different species, ranging from mammals through birds and reptiles to insects. Each new baby gets a page or spread with an image and a couple of sentences to describe a key aspect of neonatal life ("My mother cleaned me, fed me, and kept me safe," says the Siberian tiger kitten). While the absence of context can be a little disorienting, it allows for a tight focus on the subject, and the array allows for some interesting comparisons and contrasts in birthday expectations. In keeping with this attentive approach, Jenkins' cut-paper figures are somewhat more streamlined than his more elaborate concoctions, but there's plenty of vigor in pattern (the spread where striped zebras face a striped and spotted tapir is lively indeed) and creative positioning. Subtle print in the lower right corner of each page identifies the featured critter's species. The style would work as an easy read as well as a readaloud, and the title would partner effectively with Jenkins' Time for a Bath, Time to Eat, and Time to Sleep (BCCB 9/11). The book concludes with more detailed information about the characteristics and habitat of each of the babies, accompanied by a thumbnail image. [End Page 249]

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