OINK-OINK! MOO! COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!

Young readers are introduced to well-known animals and the sounds they make.

Sweet, whimsical illustrations in pastel colors introduce a dog, a cat, a frog, a cow, a mouse, a pig, a bird, a sheep, and a rooster, each animal having its own double-page spread. On the verso, a simple statement accompanies each depicted animal: “The cat says ‘meow’ ”; “The frog says ‘ribbit’ ”; “The pig says ‘oink.’ ” Opposite these statements, the animal is depicted performing some playful action: riding a bike, dancing, singing, dressing up as a ghost. Unfortunately, as there is neither rhyme, rhythm, nor logic to connect the two sides, the text falls flat, and readers are more likely to be left mystified than delighted. For example: “The dog says ‘woof.’ / Even when it’s riding a bike.” Or: “The cow says ‘moo.’ / Even on Halloween.” Or: “The bird says ‘tweet.’ / Even when it’s being tickled.” The result is a feeling of arbitrary silliness rather than artful whimsy. In the penultimate spread all the animals make an appearance as they wave at the readers: “They all wave to you. / Even when the book is over!” The final spread acts as a review, with pictures standing in for nouns, rebus-fashion.

With so many high-quality books on the animal-sounds bookshelf, this one’s easy to skip