If You Were Born a Kitten - Hardcover

Marion Dane Bauer--a Newbery Honor author and part-time breeder of puppies and kittens--captures the wonder of birth in this poetic, playful picture book about how animals come into being. Each oversized, double-page spread lovingly depicts 12 different types of animal babies, including a human, with a few simple lines such as, "If you were a baby seahorse, you'd pop out of your father's pouch and swim away with hundreds of sisters and brothers." Bauer's tender tone, gracefully infused with intriguing animal facts, makes this an unusual homage to the miracle of life. JoEllen McAllister Stammen's magical, soft pastel illustrations beautifully complement each birth story and pay tribute to the special bond between parents and their babies. Young children will love hearing about how other little ones are born, making this winning book a wonderful, sleepy, educational bedtime read. (Picture book)

Marion Dane Bauer is the author of many books for young readers, including the Newbery Honor book On My Honor and the New York Times bestseller My Mother Is Mine. Her other titles include A Mama for Owen, If You Were Born a Kitten, Grandmother’s Song, and Thank You for Me! She has retired from the faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults where she was the first Faculty Chair. She lives in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and can be reached at MarionDaneBauer.com.