I Was Born a Baby

Pups, calves, chicks, cubs, and other young announce themselves to comedic effect in this polished picture book, which tugs at the seeming illogic of nomenclature. Starting with a human child with dark brown skin, different youths present themselves (“I was born a baby./ I was born a colt.// I was born a piglet./ I’m a billy goat”), but a challenge arises when some discover they share a name. After a dog claims to be a pup, for example, a seal pipes up (“No way, no how!/ That can’t be true!”) as do a bat, beaver, and shark (“I’m a pup!/ I’m a pup!// I’m a pup, too!”). Though an end page might be read as comparing skin color and species, Scott’s digitally rendered critters are wide-eyed and full of personality, and scenes vividly capture the absurdity afoot, echoing Fleming’s rhythmic prose, which emphasizes the silliness of language and introduces vocabulary-building terms, such as hoglet and puggle. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)