All over the world, in all kinds of habitats, mothers bring forth new life. For many animals, such as reptiles and amphibians, mothering responsibilities end before the babies are even born. But mammal babies need their mothers--they need to be nurtured and nourished long enough to learn how to survive on their own.
All mammal mothers feed, protect, and teach their young, even though these tasks can challenge their own needs for survival. But a mammal baby's journey to maturity varies dramatically depending on whether it is a bear or a bat, a shrew or a seal, a hippopotamus or a human. This fascinating look at life cycles portrays the normalcy of birth and breastfeeding and explores how mothers help 14 different mammals navigate the path from helpless infants to self-sufficient adults.
En todo el mundo, en todos los tipos de hábitats, las madres crean vidas nuevas. Para muchos animales, como los reptiles y anfibios, las responsabilidades de las madres terminan antes de que los bebés nazcan. Pero los bebés mamíferos necesitan a sus madres - ellos necesitan que ellas los críen y alimenten antes de que puedan aprender a sobrevivir solos.
Todas las madres de mamíferos alimentan, protegen y les enseñan a sus crías, incluso cuando esas tareas a menudo desafían sus necesidades de sobrevivencia. Pero el viaje de un bebé mamífero a la madurez varía dramáticamente dependiendo de si es un oso o un murciélago, una musaraña o una foca, un hipopótamo o un humano. Esta introducción fascinante al mundo de los mamíferos revela cómo catorce bebés mamíferos crecen, desde que son bebés indefensos hasta que se convierten en adultos independientes. Dia L. Michels is an award-winning internationally published science and parenting writer, she is the author or editor of over a dozen books for both children and adults. Her books have been translated into Spanish, Dutch, Hebrew, Chinese, and Korean. A popular speaker, she lectures frequently at conferences, universities, libraries, and schools around the country. She teaches classes on mammal reproduction and lactation at children's and science museums around the U.S. and is a commentator for Public Radio, International. Her articles have been published in People, Parenting, Mothering, Parents, Baby Talk, Family Fun, Nurturing, and the Washington Post. She lives in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC, with her husband, their three children, and four cats and a dog.
Andrew Barthelmes, illustrator of If My Mom Were a Platypus, and designer of I Was Born to Be a Brother and many other projects, is a New York based illustrator and graphic designer. A graduate of The School of Visual Arts, his illustrations have appeared in publications such as The New Yorker, Ladies' Home Journal, Street & Smith's Sports, and The Wall Street Journal. In addition to the Platypus book, he also illustrated Herman the Loudmouth. He has been a children's book designer for Random House, Inc. and is currently creating new children's books for Reader's Digest. He lives in Peekskill, NY with his wife Barbara, and new baby, Julia.
Now in Spanish!
All mammal mothers feed, protect, and teach their young, even though these tasks can challenge their own needs for survival. But a mammal baby's journey to maturity varies dramatically depending on whether it is a bear or a bat, a shrew or a seal, a hippopotamus or a human. This fascinating look at life cycles portrays the normalcy of birth and breastfeeding and explores how mothers help 14 different mammals navigate the path from helpless infants to self-sufficient adults.
Winner, 2019 International Latino Book Awards, best translation
