Eduardo Bustos

Originally published as ¡Que Animales!, this eye-catching concept-book introduces younger readers to eleven colorful creatures of the wild. From the South American sloth to the Australian koala, Eduardo Bustos' text provides a one or two-sentence description of the animal in question, while Lucho Rodríguez's gorgeous, stylized illustrations - whether in profile or full-frontal depiction - practically leap off the black pages.

A lovely little book, Wild Animals! should prove both educational and entertaining. Although Bustos is a biologist, he does not overwhelm his young audience with scientific detail, choosing to focus on a few well-chosen facts instead, while Rodríguez's art evokes all the mystery and excitement of the natural world. With the paucity of Latin American children's books currently available in the United States, it's particularly heartening to see that Mexican-born Bustos and Colombian-born Rodríguez have finally broken into the English-language market. I hope that this title - a winner on its own merits - is just the first of many from these two!… (altro)