Animal Atlas

ANIMAL ATLAS is a fun board book that looks at animals by continents. Each page includes one animal pop-up, several labeled illustrated animals, a few lift-the-flaps with facts about the animal underneath, and a brief paragraph about the continent. North and South America are grouped together on the same page spread, as are Australia and Antarctica.

What I loved: This is a cute journey through some animal basics by continent that will work best for toddlers and young preschoolers. The level of information is pretty brief, with a few animal facts found under flaps, and this will work best for the littlest of readers. The organization by continent adds some basic geography to the story, and the inclusion of key facts is enough to spark further interest in animals and locations. The illustrations are simple but cute, and it was great to have all the animals labeled in case there are some caregivers may not be as familiar with (and there definitely were a few I didn't know in my case). The font is clear and easy to read on each page, which is also helpful for reading aloud.

What left me wanting more: The flaps can be a bit tough to open, particularly at first, and while they are built into the book, they are not terribly thick, which can make them easy to rip for rough readers. The pop-ups are the same thickness, which will work well for gentle readers, but rougher readers may remove them.

Final verdict: Introducing some basic geography and zoography concepts, ANIMAL ATLAS is a cute journey of animals by continent that will appeal to toddlers and young preschoolers.