West Coast Wild Babies

In this second book in the West Coast Wild series, readers will meet the baby animals born in the pristine wilderness of the Pacific west coast, including land and marine mammals, fish, birds and amphibians.

It's spring on the Pacific west coast and new life is stirring! Wild babies are being born -- in the ocean, on the shore and deep inside the ancient rainforest. Wolf pups, cougar kittens, bear cubs and whale calves all begin their life in the pristine wilderness of this magnificent place.

Young readers will meet a fascinating group of fourteen wild baby animals -- including land and marine mammals, fish, birds and amphibians -- and learn about the special bonds between offspring and parents, and how the newborns move toward independence. Readers will see an extraordinary community of animals thriving in an interconnected web of life.

In this second book in the West Coast Wild series, Deborah Hodge takes readers through the spectacular land and seascapes of the Pacific Rim region, introducing familiar animals such as sea otters and eagles, and lesser known species such as pelagic cormorants and rufous hummingbirds. Karen Reczuch's beautiful illustrations are detailed and lifelike, and convey a lovely sense of warmth between the wild parents and their young. The text and art have been carefully checked for scientific accuracy.

Includes a note about the Pacific west coast and the need to preserve its rare and awe-inspiring wilderness regions, as well as a list for further reading and exploration.

Key Text Features
further reading
illustrations
informational note
author's note

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.5
Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types.

Karen Reczuch has illustrated many award-winning children's books. Loon by Susan Vande Griek won the TD Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-fiction, the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Picture Book Award and the Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable Information Book Award. Karen's other publications include West Coast Wild, winner of the VCLR Information Book Award; The Auction by Jan Andrews, a Governor General's Award finalist; Just Like New by Ainslie Manson, winner of the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award; and Salmon Creek, winner of the BC Book Prize. Karen's work includes scientific, historical and archeological illustration, and has been exhibited internationally.

Deborah Hodge is an award-winning author of thirty books for children. Her honors include the Children's Literature Roundtable's Information Book Award of Canada (won twice), the Green Prize for Sustainable Literature, and she was the finalist for the National Jewish Book Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature. Her work has also appeared on lists such as ALA's Top Ten Best Environmental Books for Youth and IBBY's Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities. Deborah is a former teacher and curriculum writer who lives in Vancouver.