Judi and Ron Barrett come up with more reasons why animals are best au naturel.
As in its classic predecessor, Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing, the book begins with that titular phrase in black text on a white page, each subsequent page beginning with “because” and supplying a single reason why a particular animal is unsuited to wearing clothing. Sneakers with untied laces and slouchy socks would “hamper a horse.” A frog “might jump out of it”—and looks quite chagrined to find itself suddenly unclothed. “It would be foolish for a fish” to wear a raincoat and carry an umbrella underwater. Laugh-out-loud moments include the caterpillar overwhelmed by the tide of socks coming out of the dryer and the leashed pet armadillo whose armor matches the knight walking it. Other featured animals include a spider, a bear, an elk, a crab, a turtle, a penguin, a skunk, a flamingo, and a hyena. On every spread, the animal is placed against a white background. Across the gutter, black text is alternately placed against coral, pea green, yellow, or white backgrounds. Ron Barrett’s pen, ink, and digital crosshatch-shaded animals look quite realistic—aside from their clothing and the expressions on their faces.
Good for a chuckle and an excellent extension opportunity for classrooms.
(Picture book. 3-8)