Joey: A Baby Koala and His Mother

by Nic Bishop

It's an exciting morning for Joey the baby koala in this beautifully photographed book from award-winning author Nic Bishop.
High above the ground, in the shade of a eucalyptus tree, Joey the baby koala wakes up hungry! Crawling over his sleeping mom, Joey goes exploring... only to find that his mother's arms is where he's supposed to be after all.

In this book featuring simple text and stunning photographs of a rare interaction between a koala and her little one, award-winning author-photographer Nic Bishop brings nature to life for the youngest children. Perfect for laptime reading, this visual treat in the style of Bishop's acclaimed Red-Eyed Tree Frog includes fun facts about koalas and their habitat.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Animals, Childrens, Australia, Photography

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 21, 2020

Reviews

[Abby Johnson]

Nic Bishop's awesome animal photography is on full display here with a simple text to accompany it. Simple enough for storytime and the very young, I'd hand this to fans of baby animals.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A baby koala wakes up hungry for breakfast, but Mom is still sleeping. What will it do?

Nic Bishop is an amazing photographer. He has managed to capture a humorous morning's adventure of a koala joey that also teaches little kids a little about koalas. There's just a sentence per page accompanying the photos. There's further information about koalas in the back of the book for adults and kids who can handle a little more reading. A fantastic nonfiction book for animal lovers, kids just beginning to read on their own, curious readers, and of course, koala fanatics.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to get this book from the library when I saw the title! My Joey was really excited to see his name on the cover when I brought it home. He also loves animals, so this book was a perfect fit for him. Inside, real photographs of a baby koala and his mom starting their day. The narration is super simple. My Joey has "read" the book several times now, just using his own narration to go with the photos, which almost works better. The pictures don't have a ton of variety either. But like I said, my Joey was excited to see his name and to see a baby animal, so he loved it.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely adorable pictures by the brilliant Nic Bishop. This made me laugh out loud too. The pages with the joey trying to wake up his sleeping mama are so funny! Every sleep-deprived parent will love this perhaps even more than the kids.

Simple text is great for beginning readers and there is additional information about koalas in the back matter.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learn about baby koalas in this narrative describing a series of photographs of a joey and his mama. More detailed information found in the back.

I found it to be a relatable and slightly humorous tale of sleep schedules and snacks, for many babies and their mamas.

[Brenda Kahn]

Gorgeous photos of absolutely adorable koalas - a mama and her Joey. I can totally relate to mama's desire for sleep as Joey is raring to go. Simple text for the story, plus more information at the back.

[Amanda Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 5 year old daughter became very stressed out when Joey wandered away from his mother. She actually began screaming at the book for him to get back to her when he hears the noise. Good thing he did or I might have had to resuscitate her. This is the very best kind of non-fiction for young kids.

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the photographs in this book.

[Kelly]

This book was super cute. I mean, it's Nic Bishop and koalas.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super adorable pictures!!

[Tym · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pictures are adorable and fun but the story lackluster

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not technically non fiction, Bishop’s close up and personal photos show a morning in the life of a young joey. Author note gives more information about koalas.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The photos are gorgeous. Too bad koalas don't do a whole lot.

[Melissa the Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable and hilarious for all parents! This is a great nonfiction book for a storytime crowd.

[Andréa]

Note: I received an ARC of this book at ALA Midwinter 2020.