Are You a Monkey? A Tale of Animal Charades

In a book originally published in France, Rivoal (Three Little Peas) lets readers join in a game of charades played by a group of jungle animals. Printed in vivid shades of yellow, blue, and vermilion, Rivoal’s blocky prints couldn’t be more vibrant as the animals take turns posing as other creatures while three birds make guesses. Crocodile curves his body into a horseshoe shape and sticks his snout into the ground. “I know! You’re a carrot!” shouts Toucan, who never quite gets a handle on the game, making food-themed guesses throughout. “He’s not a carrot—he’s an ostrich like me!” says Ostrich on the next page, before becoming the game’s next player. Rivoal’s page turns are especially well-handled, creating lovely visual parallels between the pretend and real animals: a spread that shows Elephant hanging from a tree is followed by one of Monkey in the same position, his long tail echoing the curve of Elephant’s trunk. Along the way, readers pick up details about animal behavior, and Toucan’s bad guesses add light laughs to a book that’s equal parts handsome and fun. Ages 3–5. (Apr.)