“I am a joey,” declares the gray-faced baby koala at the opening of this book, part of the “Starting Out” series (6 titles). Its first-person narration makes the simple text more digestible than a eucalyptus leaf, and when combined with the adorable, excellently selected photos, the book becomes irresistible. Young readers move through the first year of the joey’s life, observing its growth from jelly bean–size newborn to fluffy pouch graduate. Physical characteristics are clearly labeled on the introductory photos of a joey hugging its mother’s back, and some basic koala facts, like its diet and tree-dwelling nature, are incorporated as well. Though expertly designed for beginning readers, this book’s pictures steal the show—and the video link to koala sounds is not to be missed.
–Julia Smith, Booklist, 4/1/2019
