"Yes! A kangaroo has a mother. Just like me and you." Tremendously popular author/illustrator Eric Carle needs no introduction. Readers wait eagerly for every new picture book--and nobody will be disappointed with this one. In this Very Simple story, an unseen child asks variations on the same question: "Does a lion/monkey/dolphin have a mother, too?" The response is always the same: a big colorful "YES!" with the soothing reassurance that, "like me and you," everyone has a mother. Repetition is the name of the game, here, because nothing comforts like reiteration. Those on the verge of reading will enjoy the question and answer format, which is clearly designed to be read aloud. A list of the names of animal babies, parents, and groups is included--did you know that a group of bears is called a "sloth"? Or that a group of foxes is a "skulk"? Carle's trademark collages are as colorful and luminous as those found in any of his other well-loved modern classics (including The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Very Quiet Cricket); as usual, the illustrations are so good they're worthy of framing. (Ages 2 to 7) --Emilie Coulter