COCKATOO, TOO

Some quite extraordinary cockatoos and toucans meet and greet each other in a fun-filled romp.

These exotic birds seem to accept and embrace eccentricity. One cockatoo looks up and spots another drifting down from the trees, greeting it as a new friend. When a second pair of cockatoos arrives wearing tutus, they generously gift the original pair with matching costumes. The silliness continues with toucans in tutus doing the cancan and inviting the cockatoos to dance. Soon the invitation is extended to owls and cuckoos, with at least one opting out of the madness. Murguia tells this slightest of tales in the sparest of language, employing six words multiple times in various combinations and including only a few others, resulting in delightful tongue twisters that will challenge adult readers and induce giggles galore in little ones. The text appears in large, widely spaced type on a white background at the bottom of double-paged spreads that are filled with bright green foliage and a cast of goofy-looking birds (and their tutus). The birds convey puzzlement, surprise, and joy with just a few subtle changes in their beaks and eyes. Readers will need sharp eyes to spot cockatoos descending from the trees and toucans emerging from bushes, with a surprise on the back cover. It’s all delightfully hilarious.

Sure to become a read-aloud favorite.