Baby Loves to Rock!

Kirwan departs from the soft retro style of her earlier books to deploy an in-your-face aesthetic that’s just right for this pun-filled celebration of music. Each page shows off animals’ musical preferences (“The skunk loves punk”) and talents (“The hummingbirds don’t know the words./ But the owl can screech!”), while the question “But who loves to rock?” reappears as a shouted refrain. Title aside, the best clue to the answer comes near the end, when a tiny hand emerges from off-page, simultaneously grasping a rattle and making a two-fingered devil’s horns salute like a Gene Simmons in training. Rock on, little ones. Ages 1–4. Agent: Tugeau 2. (Jan.)