{"id":2228763777,"title":"Meet the Meerkat","handle":"meet-the-meerkat","description":"\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/darrin-lunde\"\u003eDarrin Lunde\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/patricia-j-wynne\"\u003ePatricia J. Wynne\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMy name is Little Meerkat. . .\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eI stand on my hind legs\u003cbr\u003e and keep lookout.\u003cbr\u003e When I see danger I shout,\u003cbr\u003e \"Waauk-waauk,\"\u003cbr\u003e to my brothers and sisters.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWant to know more? Then open this book and follow Little Meerkat into the Kalahari desert.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA series of questions and answers introduce children to the life and habitat of Little Meerkat. Scientifically accurate illustrations make these exotic animals accessible to young readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBack matter includes additional child-friendly facts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/hello-mama-wallaroo\"\u003eHello, Mama Wallaroo\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/hello-baby-beluga\"\u003eHello, Baby Beluga\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/dirty-rats\"\u003eDirty Rats?\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/meet-the-meerkat-spread.jpg?17715480804371525359\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" async=\"\" defer data-pin-shape=\"round\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDarrin Lunde, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDarrin Lunde has worked as a mammalogist at the American Museum of Natural History and at the Smithsonian Institute. His work has brought him into contact with all kinds of animals, big and small, throughout the remote forests of South America, Africa, and Asia where he camped for months at a time to survey species diversity and to discover new species.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/darrin-lunde\" title=\"Darrin Lunde Bio\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Darrin Lunde.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePatricia Wynne, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePatricia Wynne is a well-known scientific illustrator whose art has been included in many collections and exhibited around the country. Her detailed illustrations have appeared in 90 books, including The Body Book, Tropical Rain Forest, and Hello, Bumblebee Bat, a Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor Book. Patricia lives in New York City.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/patricia-j-wynne\" title=\"Patricia Wynne Bio\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Patricia Wynne.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePennsylvania Center for the Book Baker's Dozen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlong the lines of their \u003ci\u003eHello, Bumblebee Bat\u003c\/i\u003e (July 2007), Lunde and Wynne again introduce primary readers to a small, fuzzy animal through a very simple written interview: \"Hello, little animal. What is your name?\" \"My name is Little Meerkat. I am a kind of mongoose.\" Looking directly at the viewer in Wynne's cleanly drawn illustrations, or seen scampering about a nearly barren habitat with its burrow-mates, the interviewee describes its appearance, what it eats, sounds it can make and common habits, then at day's end nestles down in cozy company for the night. Playing up the meerkat's general cuteness and social nature, this takes a more anthropomorphic approach than Heidi Moore's \u003ci\u003eA Mob of Meerkats\u003c\/i\u003e (2004), but may in consequence lend itself better to sharing with groups of children.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLunde uses a question-and-answer format to provide very basic information. Addressing Little Meerkat, the author receives responses from the animal about its habitat, family structure, food, enemies, and so on. Watercolor, ink, and colored-pencil illustrations capture the activities of the meerkat family and are large enough to share with a small group. The book may satisfy the curiosity of preschoolers about this desert-dwelling animal. However, children who want more than essential facts will need to consult books such as Conrad J. Storad’s \u003ci\u003eMeerkats\u003c\/i\u003e (Lerner, 2007) or Heidi Moore’s A Mob of Meerkats (Heinemann Library, 2004), both of which have numerous photos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRainbo Electronic Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEver since Disney's The Lion King, children have been fascinated by meerkats. That fad has been reinforced in recent years by the television program \"Meerkat Manor\" on Animal Planet. This book is for early readers and it teaches them that meerkats aren't really cats at all, but are related to the mongoose family. Cute illustrations accompany the easy reading text.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLibrary Media Connection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese excellent introductions to some exotic creatures present facts about the bumblebee bat and meerkat in question-and-answer format. Two pages of facts are included at the end, which add to the information for younger students. Lunde works for the American Museum of Natural History, which is also where Wynne works as an illustrator. Wynne's illustrations make these creatures even more intriguing. Although there are no photos of these creatures included, the illustrations give a good sense of proportion and anatomy. It is nice to see a few full-length titles to satisfy curious appetites that might see these species mentioned in other animal titles. Recommended.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/meet-the-meerkat-cvr.jpg?15054287931114206700\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/meet-the-meerkat-hires.zip?15054287931114206700\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/meet-the-meerkat-coloring-page.pdf?15054287931114206700\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Coloring Page\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaperback\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-58089-154-7\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book PDF\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-045-4\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 3-7\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 28\u003cbr\u003e8 \u003csup\u003e1\u003c\/sup\u003e\/\u003csub\u003e2\u003c\/sub\u003e x 8 \u003csup\u003e1\u003c\/sup\u003e\/\u003csub\u003e2\u003c\/sub\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]","published_at":"2015-10-14T14:14:00-04:00","created_at":"2015-10-13T16:46:33-04:00","vendor":"Charlesbridge","type":"Children's Book","tags":["Browse by Age_Ages 3-6","Browse by Fiction\/Nonfiction_Nonfiction","Browse by Format_Early Reader","Browse by Format_Picture Book","Browse by Language_English","Browse by Subject_Science \u0026 Nature"],"price":795,"price_min":795,"price_max":795,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":7274415361,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"91547","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Meet the Meerkat - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":795,"weight":125,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":8,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"continue","barcode":"978-1-58089-154-7","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/meet-the-meerkat-cover.jpg?v=1586798534"],"featured_image":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/meet-the-meerkat-cover.jpg?v=1586798534","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":"Meet the Meerkat book cover","id":2474935222351,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":600,"width":600,"src":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/meet-the-meerkat-cover.jpg?v=1586798534"},"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":600,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/meet-the-meerkat-cover.jpg?v=1586798534","width":600}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/darrin-lunde\"\u003eDarrin Lunde\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/patricia-j-wynne\"\u003ePatricia J. Wynne\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMy name is Little Meerkat. . .\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eI stand on my hind legs\u003cbr\u003e and keep lookout.\u003cbr\u003e When I see danger I shout,\u003cbr\u003e \"Waauk-waauk,\"\u003cbr\u003e to my brothers and sisters.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWant to know more? Then open this book and follow Little Meerkat into the Kalahari desert.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA series of questions and answers introduce children to the life and habitat of Little Meerkat. Scientifically accurate illustrations make these exotic animals accessible to young readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBack matter includes additional child-friendly facts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/hello-mama-wallaroo\"\u003eHello, Mama Wallaroo\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/hello-baby-beluga\"\u003eHello, Baby Beluga\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/dirty-rats\"\u003eDirty Rats?\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/meet-the-meerkat-spread.jpg?17715480804371525359\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" async=\"\" defer data-pin-shape=\"round\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDarrin Lunde, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDarrin Lunde has worked as a mammalogist at the American Museum of Natural History and at the Smithsonian Institute. His work has brought him into contact with all kinds of animals, big and small, throughout the remote forests of South America, Africa, and Asia where he camped for months at a time to survey species diversity and to discover new species.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/darrin-lunde\" title=\"Darrin Lunde Bio\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Darrin Lunde.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePatricia Wynne, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePatricia Wynne is a well-known scientific illustrator whose art has been included in many collections and exhibited around the country. Her detailed illustrations have appeared in 90 books, including The Body Book, Tropical Rain Forest, and Hello, Bumblebee Bat, a Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor Book. Patricia lives in New York City.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/patricia-j-wynne\" title=\"Patricia Wynne Bio\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Patricia Wynne.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePennsylvania Center for the Book Baker's Dozen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlong the lines of their \u003ci\u003eHello, Bumblebee Bat\u003c\/i\u003e (July 2007), Lunde and Wynne again introduce primary readers to a small, fuzzy animal through a very simple written interview: \"Hello, little animal. What is your name?\" \"My name is Little Meerkat. I am a kind of mongoose.\" Looking directly at the viewer in Wynne's cleanly drawn illustrations, or seen scampering about a nearly barren habitat with its burrow-mates, the interviewee describes its appearance, what it eats, sounds it can make and common habits, then at day's end nestles down in cozy company for the night. Playing up the meerkat's general cuteness and social nature, this takes a more anthropomorphic approach than Heidi Moore's \u003ci\u003eA Mob of Meerkats\u003c\/i\u003e (2004), but may in consequence lend itself better to sharing with groups of children.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLunde uses a question-and-answer format to provide very basic information. Addressing Little Meerkat, the author receives responses from the animal about its habitat, family structure, food, enemies, and so on. Watercolor, ink, and colored-pencil illustrations capture the activities of the meerkat family and are large enough to share with a small group. The book may satisfy the curiosity of preschoolers about this desert-dwelling animal. However, children who want more than essential facts will need to consult books such as Conrad J. Storad’s \u003ci\u003eMeerkats\u003c\/i\u003e (Lerner, 2007) or Heidi Moore’s A Mob of Meerkats (Heinemann Library, 2004), both of which have numerous photos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRainbo Electronic Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEver since Disney's The Lion King, children have been fascinated by meerkats. That fad has been reinforced in recent years by the television program \"Meerkat Manor\" on Animal Planet. This book is for early readers and it teaches them that meerkats aren't really cats at all, but are related to the mongoose family. Cute illustrations accompany the easy reading text.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLibrary Media Connection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese excellent introductions to some exotic creatures present facts about the bumblebee bat and meerkat in question-and-answer format. Two pages of facts are included at the end, which add to the information for younger students. Lunde works for the American Museum of Natural History, which is also where Wynne works as an illustrator. Wynne's illustrations make these creatures even more intriguing. Although there are no photos of these creatures included, the illustrations give a good sense of proportion and anatomy. It is nice to see a few full-length titles to satisfy curious appetites that might see these species mentioned in other animal titles. Recommended.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/meet-the-meerkat-cvr.jpg?15054287931114206700\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/meet-the-meerkat-hires.zip?15054287931114206700\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/meet-the-meerkat-coloring-page.pdf?15054287931114206700\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Coloring Page\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaperback\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-58089-154-7\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book PDF\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-045-4\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 3-7\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 28\u003cbr\u003e8 \u003csup\u003e1\u003c\/sup\u003e\/\u003csub\u003e2\u003c\/sub\u003e x 8 \u003csup\u003e1\u003c\/sup\u003e\/\u003csub\u003e2\u003c\/sub\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]"}

Meet the Meerkat

By: Darrin Lunde / Illustrated by: Patricia J. Wynne

My name is Little Meerkat. . .

I stand on my hind legs
and keep lookout.
When I see danger I shout,
"Waauk-waauk,"
to my brothers and sisters.

Want to know more? Then open this book and follow Little Meerkat into the Kalahari desert.

A series of questions and answers introduce children to the life and habitat of Little Meerkat. Scientifically accurate illustrations make these exotic animals accessible to young readers.

Back matter includes additional child-friendly facts.

Maximum quantity available reached.

Darrin Lunde, author

Darrin Lunde has worked as a mammalogist at the American Museum of Natural History and at the Smithsonian Institute. His work has brought him into contact with all kinds of animals, big and small, throughout the remote forests of South America, Africa, and Asia where he camped for months at a time to survey species diversity and to discover new species.

Read more about Darrin Lunde.


Patricia Wynne, illustrator

Patricia Wynne is a well-known scientific illustrator whose art has been included in many collections and exhibited around the country. Her detailed illustrations have appeared in 90 books, including The Body Book, Tropical Rain Forest, and Hello, Bumblebee Bat, a Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor Book. Patricia lives in New York City.

Read more about Patricia Wynne.

  • Pennsylvania Center for the Book Baker's Dozen
  • Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year

Kirkus Reviews

Along the lines of their Hello, Bumblebee Bat (July 2007), Lunde and Wynne again introduce primary readers to a small, fuzzy animal through a very simple written interview: "Hello, little animal. What is your name?" "My name is Little Meerkat. I am a kind of mongoose." Looking directly at the viewer in Wynne's cleanly drawn illustrations, or seen scampering about a nearly barren habitat with its burrow-mates, the interviewee describes its appearance, what it eats, sounds it can make and common habits, then at day's end nestles down in cozy company for the night. Playing up the meerkat's general cuteness and social nature, this takes a more anthropomorphic approach than Heidi Moore's A Mob of Meerkats (2004), but may in consequence lend itself better to sharing with groups of children.

School Library Journal

Lunde uses a question-and-answer format to provide very basic information. Addressing Little Meerkat, the author receives responses from the animal about its habitat, family structure, food, enemies, and so on. Watercolor, ink, and colored-pencil illustrations capture the activities of the meerkat family and are large enough to share with a small group. The book may satisfy the curiosity of preschoolers about this desert-dwelling animal. However, children who want more than essential facts will need to consult books such as Conrad J. Storad’s Meerkats (Lerner, 2007) or Heidi Moore’s A Mob of Meerkats (Heinemann Library, 2004), both of which have numerous photos.

Rainbo Electronic Reviews

Ever since Disney's The Lion King, children have been fascinated by meerkats. That fad has been reinforced in recent years by the television program "Meerkat Manor" on Animal Planet. This book is for early readers and it teaches them that meerkats aren't really cats at all, but are related to the mongoose family. Cute illustrations accompany the easy reading text.

Library Media Connection

These excellent introductions to some exotic creatures present facts about the bumblebee bat and meerkat in question-and-answer format. Two pages of facts are included at the end, which add to the information for younger students. Lunde works for the American Museum of Natural History, which is also where Wynne works as an illustrator. Wynne's illustrations make these creatures even more intriguing. Although there are no photos of these creatures included, the illustrations give a good sense of proportion and anatomy. It is nice to see a few full-length titles to satisfy curious appetites that might see these species mentioned in other animal titles. Recommended.

Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-58089-154-7

E-book PDF
ISBN: 978-1-60734-045-4

Ages: 3-7
Page count: 28
8 1/2 x 8 1/2