Wild in the City

Tucked in bed with her cat at her feet, Jenny hears a curious noise outside her window. Concluding that it must be the product of her imagination, she falls asleep. But wakeful readers may spy raccoons hiding in the tree--the start of a nightlife parade. When Jenny's cat sets out to prowl the city neighborhood, it is joined by a nighthawk, which chases a moth, which is stolen by a bat, which is fooled by a skunk, and so on. While linking urban wildlife into a simple ecology, Thornhill's (Wildlife ABC) text and illustrations weave in entertaining elements: youngest readers will look for the elusive cat; older children will search out hidden letters spelling the feline's name; incidental details winningly provide pictorial continuity (a bat's shadow on the lily pond foretells its appearance; background objects hint at the passage of time). Portrayed in steeply pitched perspectives, this busy but tidy world invites readers to look closely and carefully. Informative endnotes round off a multifarious reading experience. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)