The Beaver

In prose as streamlined and sturdy as the beaver itself, Rounds (Cowboys; Once We Had a Horse) describes the habitat and habits of that furry pond-dweller. Readers learn a bit about how and why dams are made, how the beaver eats bark by holding a branch in his paws and gnawing it ""like a man eating corn off the cob,"" etc. Color illustrations, paired with black-and-white sketches, rely on playful draftsmanship for a sense of movement and flow; the color has a textured effect, as if rendered in crayons or pastels, and is bounded by heavy outlines. In an afterword, Rounds punctures some common myths about beavers--notably that, contrary to the term ""working like beavers,"" these critters rarely ""hustle,"" but rather bite off just a little at a time, as it were, leaving plenty of room for naps and noshing. Amiable and low-key, this picture book serves as a useful introduction to the subject. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)