This picture book, one in a series of four from Morris and Swingler, delivers a menagerie of information combined with complementary visual elements. To focus on teaching children about the natural world and its inhabitants, each animal is given an African first name (such as Osumare) that suits their habitat and a rhyme describing their unique traits (such as Jahi the Giraffe, “who is very, very tall..., she is the tallest of them all”). The book’s protagonist, Hugo the explorer, peers out from a "hidden" place on each page. Extra material at the end supplies intriguing and funny animal details relevant to the geographical area covered in the story.

Though Hugo and his sidekicks have cute character design, they play a fairly minor role; the text focuses on bringing to life the animals’ quirks, and even adult animal lovers will discover new facts ("unlike his cat mates, [the cheetah] cannot roar, but he has a loud purr when he is happy, lying on the savannah floor"). The search-and-find aspect is best suited to the youngest readers; Hugo is not concealed in very challenging places (on the page of Hakima the Hippopotamus, Hugo is hiding in the only thick clump of reeds in the illustration), so even very small children should not feel frustrated in this pursuit.

Swing’s lively illustrations are the highlight, giving readers an up close and personal encounter with the story’s animal stars . And the creators’ love of the natural world is apparent. The combined effect is informative and appealing, without overwhelming the reader.

Takeaway: Young animal lovers will enjoy the polished, professional illustrations on this whirlwind tour of popular African fauna.

Great for fans of: Laura Watkins’s T is for Tiger: A Toddler’s First Book of Animals, Alek Malkovich’s I Spy Books Series.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: B