Pouch!

A very young kangaroo named Joey (haha!) decides that he wants to hop on his own one day, and under the watchful eye of his mama, sets off on his first solo venture. But a surprise encounter with a bee sends him into a tailspin, and shouting "Pouch!," he makes a panicked dive for the safety of his mother. So it goes, also, when he meets a rabbit, a bird, and another kangaroo. Fortunately, this fellow kangaroo is also a youngster, also afraid, and also shouting "Pouch!," and the two marsupials - realizing how silly they are being - manage to befriend one another. Still under the watchful eyes (though not in the warm pouches) of their mamas...

There isn't a lot to David Ezra Stein's Pouch, text-wise, but what there is works wonderfully, show more communicating Joey's desire for a little bit more independence, without necessarily relinquishing his mother as a place of refuge (aren't all families place of refuge?), and his utter panic, when he gets what he wants. The china marker, watercolor and pencil illustrations are bright and appealing, with a kind of free-form style that feels both casual and expressive. All in all, a most engaging little reassurance tale for younger children, one which validates their desire to explore, while also offering proof that watchful parents are there, in the background. show less

I loved the book Pouch for a few reasons. I loved the book because of the plot, a mother gives birth to her baby who wants to leave her pouch initially but has moments of hesitation when he meets more and more animals. I feel that this is very relatable to the audience. The conflict in the plot was basic enough for the audience to make connections to their own lives but also not too basic that it made the story mundane.
I also loved this book because of the illustrations, they really added to the story in meaningful ways. For example, each time Joey encountered a new animal he would simply scream, “Pouch”. But the illustrations show his expressions when he screams Pouch and the reader can identify that he is feeling scared. I also show more noticed that the colors changed when Joey felt any negative emotions like fear, to a yellow tint. The setting that the illustrations creates is also very realistic for a fantasy book. While the author does have talking kangaroos in his book, he creates natural, nature backgrounds of where kangaroos might live.
One last thing I noticed and thought was clever was how the author incorporated counting into the book as well. At first, Joey took one hop out of his mom’s pouch, then two, then three and so on. This also encourages the meaning of a gradual release. I believe the message of this book is that we are scared to take risk, like leaving home or our parents, but with risk comes reward, like new friendships. show less

I really like the illustrations that Stein does. Cute little book. It is simple, but its simplicity makes perfect sense when you think of little explorers.

Cute and feel-good book! Simple book about a kangaroo baby exploring the world for the first time and encountering the many potentially scary things out there! The recurring theme is the baby being spooked back into his mother's pouch after discovering different animals until he finally finds another kangaroo friend. The illustrations are very sweet and lose. I believe they are water color and charcoal. Great integration of text within the scenes. This book is definitely carried by its pictures and the rhythmic nature of the textual progression. Definitely gives the reader a nice example of exploring the world and the importance of support from friends and family.

A sweet and simple book about a baby kangaroo walking the fine line between staying at home and testing his independence. Wondeful for read alouds and kids who may be a little anxious about things.

Caldecott Honor winner David Ezra Stein's delightful tale of a baby kangaroo's first hops toward independence is perfect for board book audiences. Joey wants to go exploring, but at first he isn't sure he's ready to leave Mama's safe, warm pouch. Touching on a universal childhood experience, this sweet tale celebrates trying new things.

A story about leaving the nest, kangaroo-style: a joey leaves his mama's pouch and encounters other creatures, going a little farther each time (one hop, two hops, etc.) but scampering quickly back to the safety of the pouch - until he meets another joey and they go hopping together. When their mamas offer "Pouch?" they reply "No thanks!"

So cute! I believe I heard about this one through a facebook parents's group when someone asked for book recommendations.

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Re-read February 2019. Good for storytime! see also: Roly Poly Pangolin by Anna Dewdney