TEN MONKEY JAMBOREE

Ten monkeys are up to some mathematical business, seeing how many different rhyming ways they can constitute a "jungle jamboree." For example, seven monkeys cavorting in a tree are joined first by a duo that "twirl and flip./ Their long tails curl./ They never slip!" and then by one who "hangs by her knees/ in the breeze." They celebrate as "Ten monkeys [having] a tail-tangling, tree-dangling jungle jamboree," one of Ochiltree's (Cats Add Up) five variations on the same refrain. French illustrator Lanquetin's overalls-clad and boxer-wearing monkeys possess an irresistible insouciance (they even manage to stave off a tiger), and their jungle landscape blends the darkly exotic with the genially silly. But the book's format may confuse novice mathematicians. Many of the "equations" stretch over two spreads, and without numerical guideposts (in fact, there are no numerals to be found), it's often necessary to flip back and forth between pages to keep track of the addends. Ages 4-7. (Sept.)