¡MARIMBA!

Animals frolic through the whole alphabet in Spanish as well as English. While two zoo keepers snooze in front of the ticket window, all the animals inside kick up their hooves. Twenty-six short verses introduce them, from A (animales) to Z (zebues). Most of the animal names are close enough to their English counterparts to be guessed by young listeners: elefantes, gorilas, manaties, for example. In the back is a brief “translation and pronunciation guide.” The verses are simple, and built around the activities the animals are undertaking in the pictures: “ ‘Let’s conga,’ say cougars to coyotes, to marimbas ting-tong beat!’ ” Cushman’s happy illustrations, in pen-and-ink and watercolor with gouache and colored pencil, resemble stills from an old Saturday morning cartoon. An inviting introduction to both Spanish and the animal kingdom. (Picture book. 4-7)