Baby Penguin is Lang and Lynch’s second book in their Nature Babies series, the first title being The Adventures of Baby Bear (published in July). Both books describe the maturation process of the baby animal in question and both are illustrated by the amazingly detailed colour photographs of Wayne Lynch.

In addition to reflecting and reinforcing the text, the captivating photos in Baby Penguin are varied in colour, perspective, and animal activity. Both text and pictures give the reader a clear idea of what a baby penguin has to contend with while growing up in a penguin colony near Antarctica. Crowds, noise, ground “covered with stinky, gooey mud,” aggressive elephant seals, and doting parents are all part of a penguin chick’s daily life.

All of this as well as a lengthy weaning process and more are explained in simple sentences with rich descriptive vocabulary. Phrases like “blubbery beasts bulldoze,” used to describe the elephant seals, and words like “waddles,” “fuzzy,” and “soggy” to describe the chicks appear throughout the text. Author Aubrey Lang also makes efficient use of comparisons with common objects to help young readers further appreciate the appearance and behaviour of king penguins. A “Did You Know?” page at the back of the book with more facts about both young and adult king penguins helps make this a good research resource for the older primary and even junior student. A simple index would also have been useful for this purpose. Both children and adults will find this book a positive learning experience.