A
Pinky Is A Baby Mouse
In
rhyming verse with vivid illustrations, this book features over 100 usual,
and unusual, baby animal names. Illustrated by Diane deGroat and published
by Hyperion Books for Children.
Why Pam Muñoz
Ryan wrote A Pinky is a Baby Mouse
Pam
Muñoz Ryan lives near San Diego and its world famous zoo. As
a member of the San Diego Zoological Society, each month she looked forward
to their publication, ZooNews. One afternoon as Ryan
read an article about an echidna, or spiny anteater, she discovered that
a baby spiny anteater is called a puggle. When Ryan saw that
one word a lightbulb went off in her brain! It occurred to Ryan that
there must be other cute, legitimate baby animal names. She made a list
of all the ones she remembered, most of them common, and then started researching.
First, Ryan went to the library and checked out mammal, bird, and reptile
books. Then she started calling zoos. Ryan called the San Diego Zoo,
the Bug Zoo in Los Angeles, and the Scripps Institute of Oceanography.
And when she wanted to know if all marsupial babies are called joeys (they
are), Ryan called the Adelaide Zoo in Australia! Soon, she had a list
of over 100 baby animal names. Ryan loves the unusual ones.
For instance, a baby crab is a megalops and a baby seal is a beach weaner.
To see a real beach weaner, go to La
Jolla Friends of the Seals site.
Learning
Activity for A Pinky is a Baby Mouse
Have
a Naming Contest for Baby Animals
 |
American
Booksellers' Pick of the List
Bank Street Best Books of 1998
IRA/CBC Children's Choice |
The above book
cover used with permission. Illustrated by Diane deGroat. A Pinky is
a Baby Mouse is written by Pam Muñoz Ryan. Published by
HyperionBooks for Children. Illustrations copyright©1996 by Diane deGroat.