What do you think?
Rate this book
Animal Babies Like to Play: A Rhyming Picture Book About the Alphabet and Diversity for Kids
Jennifer Adams, the author of the bestselling BabyLit series, teams up with Mary Lundquist, author and illustrator of Cat & Bunny, to create an irresistible picture book featuring little ones dressed as animals, from A to Z.
Animal babies from Alligator to Zebra play, explore, and wonder in this celebration of children in all their glorious diversity.
Alligator baby wants to play.
Bunny baby says, “Okay.”
Cat baby reads a book.
Dog baby sleeps in a nook.
Animal babies from Alligator to Zebra play, explore, and wonder in this celebration of children in all their glorious diversity.
Alligator baby wants to play.
Bunny baby says, “Okay.”
Cat baby reads a book.
Dog baby sleeps in a nook.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published February 5, 2019
About the author
Jennifer Adams
182 books199 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Jennifer Adams is the author of more than forty books. Her bestselling BabyLit board books (published by Gibbs Smith) introduce small children to the world of classic literature and have sold 1.5 million copies. She is the author of another series of board books, My Little Cities.
Jennifer’s picture books for children, Edgar Gets Ready for Bed, Edgar and the Tattle-Tale Heart and Edgar and the Tree House of Usher are inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven.” She also has two new picture books forthcoming from HarperCollins.
Her titles also include books for adults, including Y is for Yorick, a slightly irreverent look at Shakespeare, and Remarkably Jane, notable quotations on Jane Austen.
Jennifer graduated from the University of Washington. She has 20 years’ experience as a book editor, including at Gibbs Smith and Quirk Books. She currently works as a consulting editor for Sounds True, developing their children’s line. Jennifer works some evenings at her local independent bookstore, The King’s English, to feed her book habit. She lives in Salt Lake City with her husband, Bill Dunford, who is also a writer.
(bio from author's website)
Jennifer Adams is the author of more than forty books. Her bestselling BabyLit board books (published by Gibbs Smith) introduce small children to the world of classic literature and have sold 1.5 million copies. She is the author of another series of board books, My Little Cities.
Jennifer’s picture books for children, Edgar Gets Ready for Bed, Edgar and the Tattle-Tale Heart and Edgar and the Tree House of Usher are inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven.” She also has two new picture books forthcoming from HarperCollins.
Her titles also include books for adults, including Y is for Yorick, a slightly irreverent look at Shakespeare, and Remarkably Jane, notable quotations on Jane Austen.
Jennifer graduated from the University of Washington. She has 20 years’ experience as a book editor, including at Gibbs Smith and Quirk Books. She currently works as a consulting editor for Sounds True, developing their children’s line. Jennifer works some evenings at her local independent bookstore, The King’s English, to feed her book habit. She lives in Salt Lake City with her husband, Bill Dunford, who is also a writer.
(bio from author's website)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 2, 2022
Despite this being the ubiquitous alphabet book...I liked it.
It was fun watching the author struggle to find an animal that began with letters like 'u' and 'x' and then having to struggle to smoosh them into the poetic meter and rhyme that they had established for themselves.
It made my cynical little soul cackle.
On the other hand the art is adorable. All of the kids are dressed up in animal uniforms and playing and it's super cute, but there is just enough fancy included so that the kid in the octopus costume can use all eight of the legs. So, yeah, fun.
I just wish someone would come out with a superb International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) children's book, then we could use it in our classes! That would be hard though, seeing as how not all languages have all sounds. Well then, how about an IPA alphabet children's book for each language? We could have the English version! That would also be hard because which English version? British English? American English? Which American English? Standard? AAVE? Southern? Those with the great Northern Vowel shift? Maybe it should be age striated?
I have convinced myself that this would be a terrible idea. Nevermind. This is why I can never be a writer, I get caught up in irrelevant details and try to figure them out instead of sitting down and writing something.
Story: Alphabet poem
Art: Adorable
Price: $17.99
It was fun watching the author struggle to find an animal that began with letters like 'u' and 'x' and then having to struggle to smoosh them into the poetic meter and rhyme that they had established for themselves.
It made my cynical little soul cackle.
On the other hand the art is adorable. All of the kids are dressed up in animal uniforms and playing and it's super cute, but there is just enough fancy included so that the kid in the octopus costume can use all eight of the legs. So, yeah, fun.
I just wish someone would come out with a superb International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) children's book, then we could use it in our classes! That would be hard though, seeing as how not all languages have all sounds. Well then, how about an IPA alphabet children's book for each language? We could have the English version! That would also be hard because which English version? British English? American English? Which American English? Standard? AAVE? Southern? Those with the great Northern Vowel shift? Maybe it should be age striated?
I have convinced myself that this would be a terrible idea. Nevermind. This is why I can never be a writer, I get caught up in irrelevant details and try to figure them out instead of sitting down and writing something.
Story: Alphabet poem
Art: Adorable
Price: $17.99
February 6, 2019
This rhyming alphabet books shows youngsters in animal costumes playing together. The rhyme is slightly reminiscent of Edward Gorey's "Gashley Crumb Tinies" but way, way, way over on the cute side. Narwhal baby and Octopus baby are sweet enough to boost the income of dentists nationwide. The true joy of this version of the alphabet lies in the stre-e-e-e-tch attained by Ulysses butterfly baby and Vulture baby and X-ray tetra baby--you can't leave letters out of the alphabet just because they are difficult! Kudos to artist and illustrator who provides a sweet and slightly off-base version of a traditional alphabet book.
We have all seen alphabet books before, so if your going to sell a new one you need an angle. This book has just enough humor mingled with cuteness to succeed in that mission. Seriously, x-ray tetra baby? Yes, you have to look it up! At first the traditional book was a little hum-drummingly boring, if cute, but serious hats off to Jennifer Adams and Mary Lunquist for bringing it back at the end. The ending makes the story, but getting to the fun twist end of the alphabet will educate your toddler and give you a smile every time!
See more reviews on http://byucbmr.com/
We have all seen alphabet books before, so if your going to sell a new one you need an angle. This book has just enough humor mingled with cuteness to succeed in that mission. Seriously, x-ray tetra baby? Yes, you have to look it up! At first the traditional book was a little hum-drummingly boring, if cute, but serious hats off to Jennifer Adams and Mary Lunquist for bringing it back at the end. The ending makes the story, but getting to the fun twist end of the alphabet will educate your toddler and give you a smile every time!
See more reviews on http://byucbmr.com/
June 25, 2023
Animal babies are playing throughout these pages; animal babies playing for the benefit of human babies.
Goodreaders, if I tell that the first animal in this picture book is an alligator...
While the last animal in this collection will be a zebra...
Do you think that the rest of the alphabet can be close behind?
All this plus rhymes too? Yeah, really!
FIVE STARS to author Jennifer Adams and artist Mary Lindquist.
Goodreaders, if I tell that the first animal in this picture book is an alligator...
While the last animal in this collection will be a zebra...
Do you think that the rest of the alphabet can be close behind?
All this plus rhymes too? Yeah, really!
FIVE STARS to author Jennifer Adams and artist Mary Lindquist.
February 5, 2019
alphabet book of illustrated babies dressed in animal costumes. Diverse. Not so much a story but tells in a sentence and rhyme what each baby is doing/how they're playing "Giraffe baby likes skipping rocks. Hippo baby likes building with blocks." Adorable.
February 19, 2019
This ABC book uses adorable illustrations of little kids in animal costumes playing together and simple, rhyming text to make a nice read aloud picture book to share with young children. This is definitely a nice collection of play time activities and children getting along together.
November 1, 2019
Notable mainly for the cute illustrations. Babies are dressed like animals and playing. What they are doing is unrelated to the animals they are dressed as, which makes me wonder why they are dressed as animals.
August 13, 2021
It's funny how you never know which books are going to resonate with the kiddos. My 3 year old loved this book of children dressed up like animals playing hide and seek. Mom thought it was pretty cute too.
February 29, 2024
Adams Adventure #31
Basically a list of animals from A-Z with a bit of poetic banging on after each one.
Animal lovers may enjoy, but it is very basic and not that inspiring.
Feels like it has been dialled in really.
Basically a list of animals from A-Z with a bit of poetic banging on after each one.
Animal lovers may enjoy, but it is very basic and not that inspiring.
Feels like it has been dialled in really.
August 27, 2018
A storytime event where kids dress up as their favorite animals? Yes, please! Love the rhythm of this book and all the littles in costumes. The ABC element is a plus!
September 24, 2018
Cutesy alphabet book for tots featuring adorable children dressed as adorable baby animals.
February 3, 2019
Alphabet book with babies dressed as animals.
February 11, 2019
A cute alphabet book that is sweet, but not too saccharine. Illustrations are soft and lovely.
March 20, 2019
The illustrations are adorable, and the best part of the book. For each letter the alphabet there is a baby dressed up in an animal costume, from alligator to zebra. Rhyming throughout. 28 pages
March 23, 2019
Adorable, but the U and V are a little awkward for a child.
March 26, 2019
Such an adorable alphabet book! An it even has a baby animal for "U" and "X"!
September 7, 2019
chandler 5 stars
November 20, 2019
ABC book
January 24, 2020
A fun alphabet book. Nothing super original. But still sweet. Who doesn't want to see pastel illustrations of kids dressed up like animals?
October 31, 2025
Checked out from Reidsburg Public Library in Wisconsin (rhyming with the alphabet, cute illustrations too)
March 28, 2022
A cute alphabet book! Probably will read it again around a year, not super fun to read to a newborn! -Emil’s Mom
February 27, 2025
A cute ABC book. Good for baby storytime, but would need to skip some pages because of length.
Read
February 7, 2019Simple ABC rhyming book.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews