A Llama Is Not an Alpaca: And Other Mistaken Animal Identities

Employing puns, rhymes, and light interactivity, Jameson and Scobie probe the features that distinguish perceived animal look-alikes. Spreads encourage debate as subjects are introduced in a quiz format (“Puffin? Penguin in the sky?/ Which seabird can really fly?”), and page turns reveal the answers with playfully explanatory prose (“Waddle, waddle! Weighing just over a pound, puffins are light enough for flight”). Comparisons vary in difficulty and range across species pairings, which include hares/rabbits, clams/oysters, frogs/toads, as well as the titular llama/alpaca. Scobie uses soft-edged, scribbly graphic techniques to showcase friendly looking species as they mingle and gaze with big googly eyes. When the motley group comes together in a final smile-filled scene, it’s to celebrate the reader’s savvy and reinforce the wildly informative fun on display. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)