Baby Penguin: 9

The die-cut covers of these cheerful board books show each of the baby animals with its mother; the covers' flip side reveals a rear view of each animal pair. Bold shapes, outlined thickly in black, combine with an upbeat, lean text: ``Baby Lion is all wet. But Mother Lion dries her from top to tail.'' Each volume tells a variation of the same comforting story: a baby animal ventures out into the world, spends the day playing with another young animal (usually of a different species), and returns home, tired, to the soothing embrace of its mother. Playful storytelling and buoyant artwork keep these essentially similar stories from seeming repetitious. Yee's chunky figures, rendered in bright, primary colors, bring a cozy exuberance to these gentle adventures. Ages 1-4. (Jan.)