A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 354

Picture Book: Animal Teachers

Author: Janet Halfmann

Illustrator: Katy Hudson

Summary: This fun book celebrates and informs human children about the lessons several species of other animals must teach their young. It begins:

Who taught you how to do things? 

Your parents and others who care about you were your first teachers.

Who teaches animals? 

Let’s peek into some animal lessons and find out!  

Boxing lessons for Joey Kangaroo, building lessons for beaver kits, and shouting lessons for prairie dog pups follow as well as others. After each lesson is described, intriguing questions are asked to encourage the readers and listeners to talk about their own lessons, skills, and early teachers.

Hanna’s Comments: There is so much in this fun science book that I suggest you read only a few entries at a time and allow for personal conversation after each animal lesson explanation. Then offer comments that are built on your spiritual beliefs. You might talk about God’s loving intention for animals to be fed and comfortable. Try sharing stories about how you were taught early lessons, especially faith lessons. Additionally, explain in simple terms the concept of spiritual gifts of parents and teachers. You’ll find a couple of pages in the back with more facts about each of the animals featured in this picture book. These facts could be shared during those conversations as well.

Original Publisher & Date of Publication: Blue Apple, 2014

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 4 and up, Pre and up 

# of Pages: 36 

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: None at present 

PBT Category: Fresh off the Press, Non-fiction, Award Winner 

PBT Topics this Book connects with: abilities, adaptation/assimilation, animals, babies/children, belonging, bonds/connections, communication, community, creation, danger, dependence/interdependence, differences, diversity, education/learning/school, the environment/nature, growing up/growth, heritage, mentors/teachers, nurturing, parents/parental love, preparation, problem solving/problems, survival, wisdom

Scripture Connections: God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds…” (Genesis 1:24); who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth? (Job 35:11); the Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made (Psalm 145:9)

Idea(s) for Application:  Read this book to a group of young children who are learning about teachers, spiritual gifts, or about God’s glorious animals and their skills and attributes.