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Friday, March 25, 2022

Solitary Animals: Introverts of the Wild, written by Joshua David Stein and illustrated by Dominique Ramsey. RISE, Penguin Random House. 2021. $24.99 ages 3 and up

 


"A tower of giraffes bend their long
necks down for a drink ... 

And a dazzle 
of zebras, brilliant, 
brown and white, 
blink in the hot sun. 

But the panther arrives 
by herself. 

The panther is a 
solitary animal.
"

Kids love to read books about animals ... some they know, and some they do not. They want to learn about them and share what they learn with others. They might be surprised to know that not all animals like crowds. Or maybe they won't, if being alone or in small groups is what they like best.

A gulp of swallows sweeps through the pink sky of sunrise. A huddle of hummingbirds swarms together near an enticing flower. There is no eagle to be found there. An eagle is a solitary animal, readers are told. The text continues to introduce a wide variety of animals and their group names, mostly in a division of three before mentioning an animal that does not belong to any group. 

Brilliant artwork created in digital media add interest and will delight all readers. It's quite a marvelous debut for Dominique Ramsay. Infused light and lustrous colors fill each spread with wonder. Such an interesting way to learn the vocabulary for group names and to realize there are animals in the wild who enjoy their own company, just as there are people who feel the same. 

Back matter offers 'more about solitary animals'.  

"Humans are social animals who sometimes prefer or need to be alone. In fact, social animals are not social all the time, and solitary animals are not solitary all the time, either. All creatures find their own balance."                                                                                  


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