SOON BABOON SOON
by Dave Horowitz & illustrated by Dave Horowitz
“Chimpanzees play timpani. / Lemurs laugh along. / Orangutans bang everythang. Gorilla’s got a GONG.” Any reader who’s had to stand by while everyone else gets to play will sympathize with this triangle-wielding baboon, who fidgets impatiently while the other members of a monkey-and-ape percussion band whale away on stage, before an all-primate audience. Using a mix of paint and paper collage, Horowitz (a drummer himself) captures the exuberant vibe with a Chris Raschka–like blend of wild typography and supple, stylized figures. Baboon’s moment comes at last, and it turns out to be worth the wait: “That ting had zing!” comments a member of the thoroughly wowed crowd. A quick but thematically and sonically satisfying concert. (Picture book. 6-8)