KANGAROO AND CRICKET

Siomades (A Place to Bloom, 1997, etc.) introduces easy animal actions and identification with a simple text and with a cut-paper collage technique that is akin to the work of Eric Carle. Every spread displays two brightly colored, cleanly shaped animals whose sizes are usually in direct contrast, while their actions and attributes are similar. “Kangaroo and cricket. . . both can jump. Camel and turtle. . . both have a hump.” Fish and hippo swim, polar bear and penguin slide, dog and squirrel bury things. On the last page, an unseen narrator exclaims, “I have something in common with everyone.” That narrator may be an unseen preschooler, who can, indeed, slide, swim, jump, and more; or it may be the tiny worm inching through the book, imitating and interpreting every action. Cheerful colors and handsome design make for a kid-friendly concept book. (Picture book. 2-5)