Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss. ( )

While reading this book children can learn how different animals learn different skills in order to survive such as cracking open nuts to drinking water with their trunks. Paired with colorful pictures students can learn about different animals, the habitat they live in and how they grow up. ( )

Twelve vignettes explore the kinds of lessons that various animal adults teach to their offspring. An appealing informational picture book but no bibliography or source notes. ( )

(ARC was provided to read and review, thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss.)

Animal Teachers is my first Janet Halfmann book and it was a very positive surprise. We get a glimpse at 12 different animal families and how the parents teach their young the skills they need to survive.
The baby sea otter has a swimming lesson and the little dolphin has to learn mum's name. The baby elephant's drinking lessons stunned me, somehow I believed they know how to use their trunk right from the start.

The facts are interesting and digestable enough for the young reader and Katy Hudson's beautiful watercolor artwork makes every page a delight. Children will love to look at them and it will keep them hooked.
To engage the young reader even more, each page comes with questions which will make them think and often they are fun. Kids will start to compare their own upbringing and look at how they started practising their first skills.
At the end of the book we find a few more facts of each of the animals and again, there was stuff, I didn't know myself.

It's a lovely book to share and enjoy with your children. It leaves room for interesting discussions if you read it in class, preschool or kindergarden, like "Can you swim?", "Where did you learn it?", "How did you learn it?" and of course, it's a vast amout of fun, if all try the prarie dog's shouting lesson. ( )

Animal teachers by Janet Halfmann
Summary- This if an informational children’s book about animals. It gives the reader information on what different types of animals teach their offspring. For example the singing lessons, from the penguins or the running lessons for the cheetahs. This book gives several other lesson animal parents teach their kids.
Personal reaction- I thought that this was a cute book. It helps teach kids that everywhere is a classroom (meaning that they can learn anywhere). I think this would be a good book to have in the classroom. I feel like a lot of students would enjoy it, particularly the ones who love animals.
Classroom extension.
1.“ They taught me too” Have the students write a paragraph about something that their parents/guardians have taught them. Have the students share about this experience and give details about the event.
2.” We can do that too!” Have the students race like a cheetah, or sing like a penguin. Let the students try the “lessons from the book. (would probably want to leave out the boxing one). This would be a great way to let out some of the students built up energy.