Batbaby Finds a Home (Step-Into-Reading, Step 3) - Softcover

Grade 1-3-This somewhat predictable easy-reader follows a family of bats that is forced to find a new dwelling when humans bulldoze their old barn. They seek advice from other animals and try out various unsuitable homes. Finally, Batbaby's friends, Squirrel and Woodpecker, lead them to a bat box on the side of a house that was built by humans who realize that these shy, gentle creatures eat insects that damage their garden crops. Quackenbush's detail-filled drawings add interest to the story; perhaps the best is the hand-drawn map on the title pages that shows the bat family's old barn and all the places they visit while looking for a home. A few succinct facts about these creatures are appended. This title may encourage young readers to learn more about bats, and there are plenty of excellent books to recommend, including Ann Earle's Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats (HarperCollins, 1995) and Gail Gibbons's Bats (Holiday, 1999).
Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA
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