Oodles of Animals

Ehlert (Wag a Tail ) finds freshreason to marvel at creatures great and small in this vibrant, oversize book, longer than her previous titles. Portraits of various animals, from caterpillar to elephant, each pair with a short rhyme about what makes the beast or bird distinct (“Penguins know/ from birth/ their wings won't fly/ from Earth”; “A newt looks cute/ in its polka-dot suit”). Her arresting signature cut-paper collages strike a playful balance between boldness of color and simplicity of shape. The result is a series of fluid compositions as the artist uses pinking shears and hole punches to add texture to triangles, semicircles, hearts and the like, and then cleverly combines and layers them to convey depth, movement and humor. She remains a master at creating spreads that are chock-full of things to see, but never crowded or too busy in their design. Ages 3–7. (May)