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What to Expect
What to Expect When You're Expecting Joeys: A Guide for Marsupial Parents
Congratulations, marsupial parents-to-be! You're about to meet your tiny bundles of joy. They're called joeys. Some are as small as a grain of rice when they're born! Read this book to find out how many babies to expect, how to help them find your pouch, and what those little joeys will do in there all day long. Whether you're a possum or an opossum, a kangaroo or a wallaby, a koala or even a shrieking Tasmanian devil, you'll find answers to all your parenting questions here.
32 pages, ebook
First published October 1, 2011
20 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 7, 2012
I thought this was really adorable and just right for curious little kids. I see a few reviews complaining about it not being informative enough for book reports but I didn't get the impression at all that that was the intention behind it, I thought it was just a fun book trying to teach kids about the variety of marsupials and how they live and grow, and I think it did that very successfully. It's approachable enough for little ones but informative enough to be interesting for the grow-ups who are reading it to them too, especially those of us who aren't from countries with many marsupial friends.
November 3, 2011
Kirkus, I don't know who's to blame for the reviews in recent times, but you've become as unreliable IMHO as School Library Journal of late. A starred review?
A grown up will get the "what to expect" humor of this, the kids it's aimed at won't. The arch tone, the tiny type and the detailed information will make this unappealing and inaccessible to young children. There's tons of information of interest for older students but the format won't make it useful as a report resource. And the cover art will probably make them feel it is too babyish for their sophisticated tastes. All in all, a book that seemed to have possibilities, but in the end won't do much on my shelf.
A grown up will get the "what to expect" humor of this, the kids it's aimed at won't. The arch tone, the tiny type and the detailed information will make this unappealing and inaccessible to young children. There's tons of information of interest for older students but the format won't make it useful as a report resource. And the cover art will probably make them feel it is too babyish for their sophisticated tastes. All in all, a book that seemed to have possibilities, but in the end won't do much on my shelf.
March 9, 2023
Cute, easy to comprehend life cycle information for a younger audience to understand.
November 24, 2011
Inquisitive kiddos want to fill their minds with bits of knowledge that will not only entertain them but be great conversation starters where ever they may travel. In What to Expect When You’re Expecting Joeys: A Guide for Marsupial Parents (And Curious Kids) the author, Bridget Heos along with the illustrator, Stéphane Jorisch, do just that. Together they’ve created a non-fiction picture book for learning seekers who have a burning desire to know more about the animals (or marsupials in this case) in the world around them.
So, when the Turkeybird says he asks me over and over and over to read this book, he’s not lying. There has rarely been a day go by in the last month or more where he hasn’t asked to read this book. It’s incredible! We’ll be driving somewhere and he’ll randomly mention what a burrow is or nectar. What’s even better is that he cannot seem to get enough of those little bits of information he gathers every time he reads through What to Expect When You’re Expecting Joeys: A Guide for Marsupial Parents (And Curious Kids). By no means do I think he understands all of the book and the many aspects of childbirth in marsupials, but he’s learning and exited about it. That to me is worth it’s weight in gold.
Bridget Heos has created a non-fiction picture book that reads like fiction for children. Yes, it’s lengthy. No, you wouldn’t guess that from the number of pages for the book, but upon opening the story you’ll discover treasure troves of information every where. My guess is that this is the exact reason Littlebug (now just around age two and a half) doesn’t enjoy reading this one yet, because of the lengthy text. Give her two years and she may be reacting in a completely different way, perhaps much like her older brother at four and a half. This is definitely a picture book for older children and one I’d highly recommend for classroom teaching as well as in the home.
Interested in learning about marsupials or know a child who loves animals? Than What to Expect When You’re Expecting Joeys: A Guide for Marsupial Parents (And Curious Kids) by Bridget Heos and Stéphane Jorisch is the perfect book for you! With non-fiction presented in a fun and sometimes silly way the text, though lengthy at times, becomes something young readers will not only learn from but thoroughly enjoy. My very own Turkeybird cannot get enough of learning about baby marsupials, joeys, koala bears, opossums and all of the interesting things that come with having a baby marsupial. Especially useful for teachers, librarians and parents who love to teach their children new things, What to Expect When You’re Expecting Joeys: A Guide for Marsupial Parents (And Curious Kids) by Bridget Heos is the perfect addition to any home or public library and/or classroom.
My original review was posted at There's A Book.
So, when the Turkeybird says he asks me over and over and over to read this book, he’s not lying. There has rarely been a day go by in the last month or more where he hasn’t asked to read this book. It’s incredible! We’ll be driving somewhere and he’ll randomly mention what a burrow is or nectar. What’s even better is that he cannot seem to get enough of those little bits of information he gathers every time he reads through What to Expect When You’re Expecting Joeys: A Guide for Marsupial Parents (And Curious Kids). By no means do I think he understands all of the book and the many aspects of childbirth in marsupials, but he’s learning and exited about it. That to me is worth it’s weight in gold.
Bridget Heos has created a non-fiction picture book that reads like fiction for children. Yes, it’s lengthy. No, you wouldn’t guess that from the number of pages for the book, but upon opening the story you’ll discover treasure troves of information every where. My guess is that this is the exact reason Littlebug (now just around age two and a half) doesn’t enjoy reading this one yet, because of the lengthy text. Give her two years and she may be reacting in a completely different way, perhaps much like her older brother at four and a half. This is definitely a picture book for older children and one I’d highly recommend for classroom teaching as well as in the home.
Interested in learning about marsupials or know a child who loves animals? Than What to Expect When You’re Expecting Joeys: A Guide for Marsupial Parents (And Curious Kids) by Bridget Heos and Stéphane Jorisch is the perfect book for you! With non-fiction presented in a fun and sometimes silly way the text, though lengthy at times, becomes something young readers will not only learn from but thoroughly enjoy. My very own Turkeybird cannot get enough of learning about baby marsupials, joeys, koala bears, opossums and all of the interesting things that come with having a baby marsupial. Especially useful for teachers, librarians and parents who love to teach their children new things, What to Expect When You’re Expecting Joeys: A Guide for Marsupial Parents (And Curious Kids) by Bridget Heos is the perfect addition to any home or public library and/or classroom.
My original review was posted at There's A Book.
July 8, 2011
This book will explain to you nearly everything you have ever wanted to know about marsupial parents and their newborn kids. To start, one must know which animals are marsupials. Most all know about koalas and kangaroos. There are others: possums, opossums, wallabies, wombats and Tasmanian devils are a few. All live in Australia or South America, except one. The Virginia Opossum lives in North America where people often call them giant rats, despite not being a rodent.
The author goes on to explain about the pouches most marsupials have to carry their babies.. How do the babies, called joeys, get into the pouch? What do joeys look like? What happens to the joeys if mother does not have a pouch? While in the pouch, what do the joeys do every day? How long do they remain in their mother’s pouch? Will the mother miss her joeys once they leave the pouch? That is not all. The book will also explain what the joeys do, when they are no longer joeys, and on their own.
This is a fascinating book. I never knew the Tasmanian devil was a marsupial or that their joeys screech, bite, pull, and generally fight for food. I picture them twirling in fast circles, like the cartoon, trying to get the most food from mamma. This is not what happens, the twirling in circles part, but it is funny to imagine this happening.
Marsupials are amazing mammals. Not all have a pouch and not all pouches open at the top. How do the joeys stay in that pouch if it opens at the bottom? I picture them hanging on to the opening with one hand, while holding a bottle or a book with the other, calmly drinking or reading as mom moves around. That is not what happens, of course, and the book explains what these joeys really do to hang on.
The pictures do a great job illustrating these concepts and more. Some are nicely shaded and layered while others are bright and pop off the page. All of the illustrations are fun and help our understanding of these wondrous babies. The amount of information in this small book is astounding. There is also a glossary and a bibliography. What to Expect When You Are Expecting Joeys . . . is a good book for kids that are homeschooled, as well as for those that are not. Even adults will enjoy learning about marsupials and their joeys.
Note: received from netgalley, courtesy of the publisher.
The author goes on to explain about the pouches most marsupials have to carry their babies.. How do the babies, called joeys, get into the pouch? What do joeys look like? What happens to the joeys if mother does not have a pouch? While in the pouch, what do the joeys do every day? How long do they remain in their mother’s pouch? Will the mother miss her joeys once they leave the pouch? That is not all. The book will also explain what the joeys do, when they are no longer joeys, and on their own.
This is a fascinating book. I never knew the Tasmanian devil was a marsupial or that their joeys screech, bite, pull, and generally fight for food. I picture them twirling in fast circles, like the cartoon, trying to get the most food from mamma. This is not what happens, the twirling in circles part, but it is funny to imagine this happening.
Marsupials are amazing mammals. Not all have a pouch and not all pouches open at the top. How do the joeys stay in that pouch if it opens at the bottom? I picture them hanging on to the opening with one hand, while holding a bottle or a book with the other, calmly drinking or reading as mom moves around. That is not what happens, of course, and the book explains what these joeys really do to hang on.
The pictures do a great job illustrating these concepts and more. Some are nicely shaded and layered while others are bright and pop off the page. All of the illustrations are fun and help our understanding of these wondrous babies. The amount of information in this small book is astounding. There is also a glossary and a bibliography. What to Expect When You Are Expecting Joeys . . . is a good book for kids that are homeschooled, as well as for those that are not. Even adults will enjoy learning about marsupials and their joeys.
Note: received from netgalley, courtesy of the publisher.
July 6, 2012
This book tongue-in-cheek book is written to marsupial parents. She explains how they are different from other mammals and what will happen when their babies are born. This is a great way to introduce children to marsupials.
Written as advice for marsupial parents, Bridget Heos begins by telling marsupials how they differ from other mammals. She describes what they should expect when their babies are born. Newborn marsupial babies are called pinkies. Later they are called joeys. Pinkies are furless little creatures who still have a lot of growing to do before they leave the protection of their mother. Even the largest marsupial, the kangaroo, gives birth to pinkies only the size of a jelly bean.
Most often the babies ride in pouches or pockets provided on the mother's body. These pouches are different on each type of marsupial. The kangaroo or wallaby pouch is open so the mother can look down and see her baby. Other marsupials have pouches that open toward the mother's rear. That way it won't fill with dirt when she digs. Still others open in the middle of the pouch, looking like a giant belly button.
Not all marsupials have pouches. Some keep their babies on their belly, holding them close by tightening special stomach muscles.
Even though they are tiny, pinkies must make their own way to the pouches that will be their home until they're ready to leave their mother. Pinkies with mothers who have downward facing poaches have a shorter path to their pouch than those facing upwards like the kangaroo.
Even if you are a marsupial lover (and who isn't?), you'll find this clever book is full of interesting facts you might not have known. For example, did you know that if the mother kangaroo becomes pregnant while she's still carrying a joey in her pouch, the joey inside her body stops growing until the joey inside the pouch leaves his mother? Then the baby begins growing again.
Heos makes learning about marsupials fun by writing to the marsupial parents themselves. Stepane Jorisch's illustrations provide additional humor.
Written as advice for marsupial parents, Bridget Heos begins by telling marsupials how they differ from other mammals. She describes what they should expect when their babies are born. Newborn marsupial babies are called pinkies. Later they are called joeys. Pinkies are furless little creatures who still have a lot of growing to do before they leave the protection of their mother. Even the largest marsupial, the kangaroo, gives birth to pinkies only the size of a jelly bean.
Most often the babies ride in pouches or pockets provided on the mother's body. These pouches are different on each type of marsupial. The kangaroo or wallaby pouch is open so the mother can look down and see her baby. Other marsupials have pouches that open toward the mother's rear. That way it won't fill with dirt when she digs. Still others open in the middle of the pouch, looking like a giant belly button.
Not all marsupials have pouches. Some keep their babies on their belly, holding them close by tightening special stomach muscles.
Even though they are tiny, pinkies must make their own way to the pouches that will be their home until they're ready to leave their mother. Pinkies with mothers who have downward facing poaches have a shorter path to their pouch than those facing upwards like the kangaroo.
Even if you are a marsupial lover (and who isn't?), you'll find this clever book is full of interesting facts you might not have known. For example, did you know that if the mother kangaroo becomes pregnant while she's still carrying a joey in her pouch, the joey inside her body stops growing until the joey inside the pouch leaves his mother? Then the baby begins growing again.
Heos makes learning about marsupials fun by writing to the marsupial parents themselves. Stepane Jorisch's illustrations provide additional humor.
Read
September 21, 2011A starred review from Kirkus...
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING JOEYS (reviewed on September 15, 2011)
Directed at marsupial parents of all kinds, from kangaroos and koalas to possums and bandicoots, this tongue-in-cheek guide to joey development takes it step by step, from the birth of your pinkie to where your baby goes after it leaves the pouch.
Never once dropping the pretense that this is written for pouched mammals, this manages to be both entertaining and informative, defining marsupial and covering gestation periods, size and number of young, the pinkie's trip from cloaca to pouch or pouch substitute, feeding and further development. Heos’ question-and-answer text also weaves in information about where animals live and what they eat, but informally—just enough to whet curiosity and to send readers to the solid suggestions for further reading and websites. She uses appropriate vocabulary, making meanings clear in context and also providing a glossary. Jorisch’s painted pen-and-ink sketches show lively, lightly anthropomorphized animals and add considerably to the humor. How can readers resist the wombat checking out her pouch or the honey-possum love fest? Both parents and offspring have personality.
This companion to What to Expect When You're Expecting Larvae (2011) is enormously appealing, an offbeat approach to learning about the natural world that targets exactly the stage young readers most want to know about. (glossary, selected bibliography) (Informational picture book. 6-11)
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Pub Date: Oct. 1st, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7613-5859-6
Page count: 32pp
Publisher: Millbrook
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING JOEYS (reviewed on September 15, 2011)
Directed at marsupial parents of all kinds, from kangaroos and koalas to possums and bandicoots, this tongue-in-cheek guide to joey development takes it step by step, from the birth of your pinkie to where your baby goes after it leaves the pouch.
Never once dropping the pretense that this is written for pouched mammals, this manages to be both entertaining and informative, defining marsupial and covering gestation periods, size and number of young, the pinkie's trip from cloaca to pouch or pouch substitute, feeding and further development. Heos’ question-and-answer text also weaves in information about where animals live and what they eat, but informally—just enough to whet curiosity and to send readers to the solid suggestions for further reading and websites. She uses appropriate vocabulary, making meanings clear in context and also providing a glossary. Jorisch’s painted pen-and-ink sketches show lively, lightly anthropomorphized animals and add considerably to the humor. How can readers resist the wombat checking out her pouch or the honey-possum love fest? Both parents and offspring have personality.
This companion to What to Expect When You're Expecting Larvae (2011) is enormously appealing, an offbeat approach to learning about the natural world that targets exactly the stage young readers most want to know about. (glossary, selected bibliography) (Informational picture book. 6-11)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pub Date: Oct. 1st, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7613-5859-6
Page count: 32pp
Publisher: Millbrook
May 11, 2011
What I thought this book was, and what it was were two different things.
I expected a book about a kangaroo mom having a baby. Well, in part that's right. I didn't know it was non-fiction, because the cover was misleading.
I chose this book for the front cover, as many people do. I thought it was a picture book. With the illustrations on the front, it looked to me like this was for a young child whose mom was going to have a baby, seeing a Kangaroo have a baby and then relating it to their situation.
It however, is a very technical book on the birth and growth of many types of marsupials, some of which, I didn't know existed. It is packed with many words, possibly hard for even an adult to pronounce. It also has terms many adults would not be familiar with, such as cloaca. If you were a parent of a young child I don't know if you want to explain what it is.
The illustrations are geared towards a young child. That child may pick up this book then be quite disappointed with the content.
The information and wording is geared toward a 4th or 5th grade child who is doing a report on marsupials. This child however, may be embarrassed to be "caught" with such a "baby looking book". Most books with this kind of detailed content include photographs of the animals, not picture book illustrations.
AR 3.7
I expected a book about a kangaroo mom having a baby. Well, in part that's right. I didn't know it was non-fiction, because the cover was misleading.
I chose this book for the front cover, as many people do. I thought it was a picture book. With the illustrations on the front, it looked to me like this was for a young child whose mom was going to have a baby, seeing a Kangaroo have a baby and then relating it to their situation.
It however, is a very technical book on the birth and growth of many types of marsupials, some of which, I didn't know existed. It is packed with many words, possibly hard for even an adult to pronounce. It also has terms many adults would not be familiar with, such as cloaca. If you were a parent of a young child I don't know if you want to explain what it is.
The illustrations are geared towards a young child. That child may pick up this book then be quite disappointed with the content.
The information and wording is geared toward a 4th or 5th grade child who is doing a report on marsupials. This child however, may be embarrassed to be "caught" with such a "baby looking book". Most books with this kind of detailed content include photographs of the animals, not picture book illustrations.
AR 3.7
December 19, 2011
I'll say right off the bat that I had no problem with the content. The format is fun and informative. The information was accurate and the question and answer format was interesting. I did learn things I didn't know, for example, I didn't realize that some marsupials such as wombats and koalas have pouches that face down/backwards. Unfortunately, the illustration on page 11 contradicts this. I understand the intention was to create cute illustrations and Jorisch succeeded, but I think they could have been accurate as well.
It also bothered me that the animals depicted were not labeled (no captions) at all. If I hadn't already known what a koala or wombat or wallaby looked like I wouldn't have known what animal was what. I did notice that the illustrator tried to illustrate the animals that the author mentions in the text, but when several animals were mentioned it sometimes created confusion about what animals were being shown. I would have liked to see more precise illustrations, photographs would have been even better. Overall, the information was great but the illustrations provided a light, humorous touch. I would recommend Nic Bishop's Marsupials for a more accurate depiction of different types of marsupials.
It also bothered me that the animals depicted were not labeled (no captions) at all. If I hadn't already known what a koala or wombat or wallaby looked like I wouldn't have known what animal was what. I did notice that the illustrator tried to illustrate the animals that the author mentions in the text, but when several animals were mentioned it sometimes created confusion about what animals were being shown. I would have liked to see more precise illustrations, photographs would have been even better. Overall, the information was great but the illustrations provided a light, humorous touch. I would recommend Nic Bishop's Marsupials for a more accurate depiction of different types of marsupials.
October 22, 2011
My Review: The author gives a step by step guide on marsupial parents. Marsupials gives birth to very tiny babies that sometimes grow in a pouch, like Kangaroos, Virginia opossum, Wallaby, Koalas to name a few. The Kangaroos are mostly found in South America and Australia. The Virginia opossum are the only marsupials found in North America.
Some gives birth to more than 20 but not all survive. She goes on to explain about the pouches most marsupials have to carry their babies in. And not all marsupials have a pouch and not all pouches open at the top.
The book is based on question and answer like, should I make the pouch with paper or cloth and will where will the older babies go when they move out of the pouch? Everything you need to know about marsupial parents and their newborn kids.
I don’t know if 4 years old will understand what a marsupial is or will be patience enough to sit and read this book, but I will recommend it for children age 8 and up and classroom teaching.
FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion in any way.
Some gives birth to more than 20 but not all survive. She goes on to explain about the pouches most marsupials have to carry their babies in. And not all marsupials have a pouch and not all pouches open at the top.
The book is based on question and answer like, should I make the pouch with paper or cloth and will where will the older babies go when they move out of the pouch? Everything you need to know about marsupial parents and their newborn kids.
I don’t know if 4 years old will understand what a marsupial is or will be patience enough to sit and read this book, but I will recommend it for children age 8 and up and classroom teaching.
FTC Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion in any way.
October 21, 2011
If you’re a new marsupial parent (or a curious kid) this book is for you. It discusses how various species of marsupials raise their young – from pinkie to joey to adult. Framed as a series of questions marsupial parents might ask about what to expect, this guides new parents through their babies’ milestones and alleviates any fears they may have about how to care for them. Informative and clever, this book will introduce readers to a variety of species of marsupials (have you ever heard of a dunnart or an antechinus?) and their young. One quibble – the author refers to babies being in their mommies’ “tummies,” prior to their sojourns to the pouch, when a more appropriate word would be “uteri.” Kids will eventually need to make the distinction between digestive and reproductive systems, and since the author introduces the concept of “cloaca,” this seems like an oversight.
July 1, 2011
Hmm. What can I say about this book? It was cute. Formatted in a question and answer style accompanied by adorable illustrations. But as an informational book, I think occasional phonographs would have added a bit to the explanations. This book was more of a book for kids who are casually seeking knowledge on marsupials and not for those who are doing reports. (book courtesy of Netgalley)
January 13, 2012
An informative book about marsupial babies. Might be good for a report on marsupials in general but not the greatest for a report on just one type of marsupial because it gives tid bits about all kinds of marsupials. Pictures were not my favorite but did illustrate the animals well and give them expressions. A little bit different layout with slightly larger text would have improved it for me.
March 24, 2012
A lot of very interesting marsupial facts in a very entertaining format. This is a book for reading or browsing, rather than reports, but readers may want to learn more after reading. Fortunately, the author has provided a very nice bibliography, so kids will have an easy time figuring out where to go next.
May 6, 2012
I wanted to love this book, and it did have lots of good information, but the parody fell flat with my five-year-old (obviously). I found the parody a little extreme, myself. Also, the colloquial tone made it a little hard for him to understand, and I found myself translating it into plain, straightforward English so he could understand it better. Plain and sensible is best.
February 8, 2013
This book (and series) is just a little but off, trying to be an information book, yet chatty. Even the glossary was chatty! I did learn some things I didn't know about marsupials. While I appreciate the white space around the text, I think it would be easier to read if the font was larger and the illustrations smaller.
November 26, 2011
This is an interesting spin on presenting the reproductive qualities of marsupials. It's a Q&A format written as a guide for marsupial parents and curious kids. There were facts I did not know prior to reading this, and the illustrations are cartoonish in nature, but informative as well.
April 17, 2012
This book is really cute. It has questions that a marsupial mom or dad might ask about their expected baby. My favorite questions are "What if I don't have a pouch? Help! I've looked everywhere!" and "What will my babies do inside my pouch or on my belly all day?".
August 30, 2011
This is a really different presentation of an informational book for children. I myself didn't know that 20 newborn oppossum joeys can fit into a teaspoon! I'd recommend this for kids 8 & up.
January 12, 2017
I just learned so many things!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews