The illustrations and text are great for children to learn about something so basic to human life. The text is in the form of Q&A which makes it easier and more accessible for children to read. It's a great book wen trying to teach young people about pregnancy and childbirth, which are typically deemed "too mature" for children.

Inquisitive kiddos want to fill their minds with bits of knowledge that will not only entertain them but be great conversation starters where ever they may travel. In What to Expect When You’re Expecting Joeys: A Guide for Marsupial Parents (And Curious Kids) the author, Bridget Heos along with the illustrator, Stéphane Jorisch, do just that. Together they’ve created a non-fiction picture book for learning seekers who have a burning desire to know more about the animals (or marsupials in this case) in the world around them.

So, when the Turkeybird says he asks me over and over and over to read this book, he’s not lying. There has rarely been a day go by in the last month or more where he hasn’t asked to read this book. It’s incredible! We’ll be driving somewhere and he’ll randomly mention what a burrow is or nectar. What’s even better is that he cannot seem to get enough of those little bits of information he gathers every time he reads through What to Expect When You’re Expecting Joeys: A Guide for Marsupial Parents (And Curious Kids). By no means do I think he understands all of the book and the many aspects of childbirth in marsupials, but he’s learning and exited about it. That to me is worth it’s weight in gold.

Bridget Heos has created a non-fiction picture book that reads like fiction for children. Yes, it’s lengthy. No, you wouldn’t guess that from the number of pages for the book, but upon opening the story you’ll discover treasure troves of information every where. My guess is that this is the exact reason Littlebug (now just around age two and a half) doesn’t enjoy reading this one yet, because of the lengthy text. Give her two years and she may be reacting in a completely different way, perhaps much like her older brother at four and a half. This is definitely a picture book for older children and one I’d highly recommend for classroom teaching as well as in the home.

Interested in learning about marsupials or know a child who loves animals? Than What to Expect When You’re Expecting Joeys: A Guide for Marsupial Parents (And Curious Kids) by Bridget Heos and Stéphane Jorisch is the perfect book for you! With non-fiction presented in a fun and sometimes silly way the text, though lengthy at times, becomes something young readers will not only learn from but thoroughly enjoy. My very own Turkeybird cannot get enough of learning about baby marsupials, joeys, koala bears, opossums and all of the interesting things that come with having a baby marsupial. Especially useful for teachers, librarians and parents who love to teach their children new things, What to Expect When You’re Expecting Joeys: A Guide for Marsupial Parents (And Curious Kids) by Bridget Heos is the perfect addition to any home or public library and/or classroom.

My original review was posted at There's A Book. ( )

This book will explain to you nearly everything you have ever wanted to know about marsupial parents and their newborn kids. To start, one must know which animals are marsupials. Most all know about koalas and kangaroos. There are others: possums, opossums, wallabies, wombats and Tasmanian devils are a few. All live in Australia or South America, except one. The Virginia Opossum lives in North America where people often call them giant rats, despite not being a rodent.

The author goes on to explain about the pouches most marsupials have to carry their babies.. How do the babies, called joeys, get into the pouch? What do joeys look like? What happens to the joeys if mother does not have a pouch? While in the pouch, what do the joeys do every day? How long do they remain in their mother’s pouch? Will the mother miss her joeys once they leave the pouch? That is not all. The book will also explain what the joeys do, when they are no longer joeys, and on their own.

This is a fascinating book. I never knew the Tasmanian devil was a marsupial or that their joeys screech, bite, pull, and generally fight for food. I picture them twirling in fast circles, like the cartoon, trying to get the most food from mamma. This is not what happens, the twirling in circles part, but it is funny to imagine this happening.

Marsupials are amazing mammals. Not all have a pouch and not all pouches open at the top. How do the joeys stay in that pouch if it opens at the bottom? I picture them hanging on to the opening with one hand, while holding a bottle or a book with the other, calmly drinking or reading as mom moves around. That is not what happens, of course, and the book explains what these joeys really do to hang on.

The pictures do a great job illustrating these concepts and more. Some are nicely shaded and layered while others are bright and pop off the page. All of the illustrations are fun and help our understanding of these wondrous babies. The amount of information in this small book is astounding. There is also a glossary and a bibliography. What to Expect When You Are Expecting Joeys . . . is a good book for kids that are homeschooled, as well as for those that are not. Even adults will enjoy learning about marsupials and their joeys.

Note: received from netgalley, courtesy of the publisher. ( )

This witty non-fiction picture book is just what all new marsupial parents have been waiting for. A gentle spoof on the classic "What To Expect When You're Expecting" series for human parents, this animal book is a perfect mentor text to shake up animal reports. Organized as a series of questions from the pouched parents that are answered by an expert, the book covers -- in an age appropriate way -- birth, siblings, life in the pouch, diet, birth size, and more. Brightly-colored illustrations give this book extra appeal; bumping up the font size might help make this even easier to read aloud. Highly recommended. (99) ( )