What Am I?: An Animal Guessing Game

Trapani's first children's book effectively combines blithesome, sing-song verse and waggish watercolors to introduce 10 familiar animals. ``Let's play a game. Let's have some fun. / Guess the animals one by one,'' invites an affable youngster. A trio of rhymed couplets offer hints about each animal, and a flip of the page reveals the creature's identity. The animals are pictured cavorting with the child--he snuggles in an armchair with a hippopotamus, is served a fish dinner by a polar bear, has a pillow fight with an owl, takes a turtle for a bicycle ride and plays football with a gorilla in the jungle. Though the book's overall cuteness is occasionally strained, Trapani imbues each animal with considerable personality, giving his work a diverting buoyancy. Ages 4-7. (Sept.)