Pinky Got Out!

It’s a game of spot-the-flamingo when the aptly named Pinky escapes his flock’s enclosure during a class’s zoo field trip. “These birds always stick together,” a zookeeper tells the class—meanwhile, a sharp-eyed girl named Penny sees the bird take wing and alerts her classmates: “Pinky got out.” The phrase becomes a refrain as Pinky sneaks away to hide variously among meerkats and monkeys, pandas and pythons. Making his debut, children’s book app designer Portis moves the lighthearted story along while deftly incorporating facts about different animal species: “Some seals hold their breath while sleeping underwater,” says the zookeeper, ever oblivious to Pinky’s antics. Illustrations by Richmond (Pax and Blue) will keep readers turning pages as they search for hints of flamingo in each spread (in one, the long-legged bird, sporting snorkel gear, floats among seals; in another, he hides among stuffed monkeys in the gift shop). The kids are glad to share what they learned at the zoo: “Pinky got out!” they shout with glee. And in a final scene that lends heart to the otherwise game-like tale, Pinky perches outside Penny’s window at night, sticking with the friend who sees him best. Ages 3–7. [em](May) [/em]