Animal Boogie

Harter (Walking Through the Jungle) once again plunges into a flamboyantly hued jungle, and--as the title hints--the joint is jumpin'. With a cast of multi-ethnic children (including a wheelchair-bound girl) serving as guides, readers discover that all the inhabitants have rhythm, like the fluffy black bear with a purple nose who ""goes shake, shake, boogie, woogie, oogie!"" and a hooded red snake with blue polka dots who ""goes slither, slither, boogie, woogie, oogie!"" Harter offers up spirited animal characterizations on each spread: a wiry orange monkey swings through the sapphire sky, a lean saffron leopard covers two spreads in a single leap. The paper-over-board book's visual electricity, along with its irresistible repetition of the ""oogie"" sound and rollicking beat (a simple music score is included at the end of the book, so the text can be sung) make this a particularly good choice for a lively group with an itch to move. Ages 2-6. (Oct.)