I Was Born a Baby

Ages 4 to 8, Grades P to 3

Guaranteed to become a new classic, this irresistible read-aloud delivers catchy rhymes and bold, silly art about baby animals and the names they share.

I was born a kitten. I’m a little guppy.  I’m a little pup, but people call me puppy.No way, no how! That can't be true!I'm a pup! I'm a pup! I'm a pup, too!The romp begins when a kid says, "I was born a baby." Soon, all the other baby animals can’t help but share what they are called and what they grew up into! Readers will learn about owlettes, pufflings, and more. But when the chick, calf, cub, and the pup realize they share their names with several other species, they can’t believe it. “No way! No how! That can't be true!” becomes a catchy, energetic refrain readers will love chanting. The text invites readers to predict what the baby animal is by using context clues and checking the endpapers to see if they guessed right.The strong rhythm and unexpected discoveries of the baby animal kingdom, plus deadpan humor and wonderfully expressive art will spark a conversation about names and nature and leave readers wanting to read it aloud again.

About the Author

Meg Fleming is the award-winning author of several picture books celebrating the natural world through rhyme and repetition, including Here Comes Ocean and Sometimes Rain, a 2019 ALA Top 10 Picture Book for Sustainability. Meg is a master of connecting to younger audiences through her wit, sense of fun and mischief, as well as her remarkable optimism and the special sense of rhythm she cultivated as a vocal coach. She was inspired to write I Was Born a Baby when her youngest child had an epiphany: "I was BORN a baby?" Ben had met babies but hadn't known he'd been one. She lives outside of San Francisco with her husband and three kids.Brandon James Scott is the illustrator of The Dog Who Wanted to Fly, a Canadian Children’s Book Centre Best Books for Kids & Teens of 2018, Snow Falls, which was selected for the 2020 Society of Illustrators’ Original Art Exhibition, and the upcoming Cow Says Meow. He is also an Emmy Award-nominated creator of the Canadian preschool television series Justin Time and is an animation director with over ten years' experience in the animation industry. Brandon lives with his family in Toronto, Canada.