ORANGUTANS ARE TICKLISH

A behind-the-scenes look at the photographer’s craft, and more. A two-page spread featuring several small pictures of Grubman working with animals accompanies a full explanation of his work methods and introduces the main event. Then come 13 animal essays, in serviceable text (punctuated by rather too many exclamation points) and accompanied by terrifically vivid pictures that also show personality in abundance. The aardvark close-up highlights his huge pink ears and a wrinkly hide. The chimpanzee displays more poses than Tyra Banks. The tiger just stares into the camera with a knowing look. Also included are the hippopotamus, western gray kangaroo, grizzly bear, lion, alligator, orangutan, elephant, giraffe, zebra and the exotic coatimundi. Although the organization and presentation suggest that the animals were selected for inclusion on the basis of their photogenic qualities alone, there’s no denying they have child appeal. The nifty four-page backmatter features more bulleted facts about each animal, as well as an additional picture of each, but there is nothing to point kids to further resources. (Picture book. 3-9)