ROOM ON TOP

When is close too close—and high too high?

A little anteater loves riding on Mama’s back. He gets lonesome sometimes, so he invites some friends along, and each accepts with alacrity. One by one, various animals—including Badger, Duck, Hare, Frog (who brings his whole family!), and Fox—step up. A few appreciate the new perch better than their own familiar hangouts; others comment on the pleasant surroundings. While the real estate on her back grows more crowded and the animal pile gets taller, good-natured, accommodating Mama remains silent, though the illustrations depict her looking doubtful. Eventually something’s gotta give: When a heron swoops down on the precarious pile on Mama’s back, uh-oh! But all’s well that ends well. No animals were harmed in the telling of this story, and Mama’s back turns out to be the best place in the world…for a little anteater. This sweet, gently humorous, though unoriginal, Swiss import, originally published in German, reassures children that their own perfect places are always close. The engaging illustrations, rendered with mostly muted shades, are enlivened with occasional pops of bright colors but are in places busy, with some small details hard to distinguish. Onomatopoeic animal sounds interspersed throughout enhance the comical proceedings, and a sly 90-degree turn midbook displaying the tower of animals atop Mama will capture children’s attention, as will the final avalanche. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Fun; you might want to make room for this one.