Otto in the City

Belgian artist Schamp makes the most of this board book’s generous dimensions, plotting out a busy drive into the city for a cat named Otto and his father, then providing an equally eventful return trip by having readers turn the book around and work their way back to the beginning. While the text is simple, the scenes are a riot of activity, full of surprising details and mini-narratives to follow (the roads get so congested that locating Otto’s nondescript hatchback becomes a challenge in itself). Among the many visual jokes, Schamp tips his hat to one evident influence: Richard Scarry’s Huckle Cat makes a cameo, waving to a character representative of Schamp’s style, a mandrill wearing a hachimaki headband. Ages 3–up. (Apr.)