ALL KINDS OF ANIMAL FRIENDS

A friendly reminder that each friendship is special in its own unique way.

This follow-up to Henn’s All Kinds of Animal Families (2021) features unusual animal friendships. These friendly animal pairs live all over the world, in the backyard, the forest, the oceans, rivers, and the savanna. Right double-page spreads put the animals front and center, sometimes with an unusual perspective, such as a bird’s-eye view of two different birds offering worms to a nest full of hungry babies with gaping mouths, but always with crisp details: The stark contrasts of the black-and-white zebras, the clearly delineated hippos half submerged in a muddy river, and a dolphin and humpback splashing along a coastline all pop. Each spread has text on two levels. For younger listeners, a one-sentence statement summarizes the spread’s content. “Occasionally, friends can be friends just because.” For listeners ready for more, there is a short description that offers more detail. “[T]he rufous woodpecker actually lays its eggs in the middle of the black tree ants’ nest. The ants protect the eggs from being eaten by other creatures—but no one really knows why they do this!” Backmatter thumbnail entries contain even more fun facts about each animal depicted: A hippo can hold its breath for up to seven minutes under water, but it can’t swim. (It actually runs along the river bottom.)

A fabulous friendship feast for the eyes and the heart.