ZooBorns

Polar Bears Kissing by Daniel Zupanc

Oh, Simon and Schuster, you're figuratively killing me with the cuteness of this book. I defy anyone to browse ZooBorns by Andrew Bleiman and Chris Eastland without uttering a progressively louder "awwww" at the turn of each page. This little hardcover book shares photo after photo of the bond between animal mothers and babies from zoos and aquariums all around the world. The descriptions on each page offer something interesting about each creature so reading it to your kids, or students, is just excellent parenting (teaching). Furthermore, sale of this book supports the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Conservation Endowment Fund; so you're getting your charity on, too. Look at you go!

I do think I better offer you a warning. You won't be able to cope with the big-eyed tree frog (p.56) or the Bat-eared Fox (p.143) but all bets are off when you come to the bed-headed little hairball known as the Sumatran Orangutan (p.147). Sometimes, things are so cute is hurts.

I read the book with my girls, twice, and then we googled to see if it was legal to have a Cotton-top Tamarin for a pet. Apparently, that is frowned upon. During our research we found out that this book is one of a series and there is a website where you can browse pictures of mamas and their babies all day long.

So, having said that, I gotta run because there are some brand new baby sloths calling my name.

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Black and White Colobus Monkey

Southern Tamandua, Staten Island Zoo. Steve Yengel