MOMMIES AND THEIR BABIES

An ode to the powerful bond between mothers and babies.

Ten animal babies dutifully follow or playfully explore with their mothers. All are done in black, white and gray against contrasting black or white backgrounds. They are cuddly, drawn with rounded lines and filled in with soft patterns and Photoshopped textures; even the spider looks nonthreatening. The brief text simply describes what is on the page, with no attempt at complete sentences, though accurate language is used to describe the babies: “the turtle mommy with her baby hatchling / the horse mommy with her baby foal.” Daddies and Their Babies follows suit with the same conceptual design. The pairs are caring throughout, which will give pause to scientifically minded parents. While they may not mind the sight of an adult sheep frolicking with her little one, they may well be unhappy at the implication that spiders, turtles and snakes nurture their young.

A sweet, if not particularly truthful, look at animal family life