LOOK OUT, BIRD!

A simple circular story: ``Snail slipped/and hit bird./Bird flew/and frightened frog,'' and so on, with each spread depicting the new encounter in a boxed scene at the left and its result in a series of images of each dislodged creature making its way off the page to the right. In the end, ``Moth fluttered/and startled snail,'' bringing us to the book's title and also back to the beginning. The actions aren't always apt (it's hard to imagine a startled snail), but very small children will enjoy the actions that come with each page turn (each with its different verbs) and the clearly recognizable animals, limned in informally wavering black filled in with cheery color. A good choice for toddlers, who will enjoy chiming in on the inevitable rereadings. (Picture book. 2-5)