Who is the Beast?

Last month we went on our first trip to the zoo. Even though it was a rainy day, we had a great time. To remember our trip, we picked up the book "Who is the Beast?" by Keith Baker at the gift shop. I chose this book because I was struck by the beautiful artwork throughout the book. It wasn't until we got home that I realized we own several other books by Keith Baker. He is a wonderful author and illustrator and that's probably why I was drawn to this particular book.

In the past few days I have read "Who is the Beast?" many times. Throughout the story flashes of the beast are seen by the animals of the forest as a beautiful tiger walks through the jungle. The tiger hears the other animals and wonders if he is the beast that they all fear. The tiger shows the other animals that they have many features in common, such as green eyes, strong legs, and a swishing tail. The obvious lesson is that we are all part of the natural world and thus are all "beasts".

This book has stunning pictures and a nice rhythm. One of Jonah's favorite things about this book is the pictures of the different animals. Another favorite is the hidden snail that can be found on each page. It is a fun game for him to look at the pages and try to find the tiny snail.

It seems that looking for what is hidden is a common theme in some of Keith Baker's books. We also have a book called "Little Green", which is about a boy watching a hummingbird fly around his yard. Each page of this book has a hidden caterpillar and I am constantly amazed at how quickly my two-year-old can find the tiny "worm". This book also has amazing artwork and a good flow to the story.

The final book that we own by Keith Baker is called "Hide and Snake". We haven't really looked at this book as much as the other two. I think that is perhaps because it doesn't really have a story. In this book the reader chases the snake from page to page as it hides amongst yarn, hoses, hats, clothing and various other objects.

These books are very eye-catching and fun to look at and read with your kids. They will enjoy finding the hidden objects in the artwork and you might be amazed at how observant they become after reading the books a few times.