Everyone Is Yawning

Bijsterbosch gives readers a chance to find out whether yawning is truly contagious as she presents bright cartoon images of 10 animals (and one young human) who are all exhibiting signs of sleepiness. “The kitten is tired,” she begins. “Can you see? Look, the kitten is yawning.” Indeed it is: a semicircular flap covers the bottom half of the cat’s round head on the facing page; lifting it makes its mouth open wide in an enormous, toothy yawn. Children can make a snake, raccoon, pig, turtle, and other animals yawn on the subsequent pages, and the effect is just as goofily charming each time. Finally, it’s the child’s turn to yawn and go to sleep, piled up with all of the sleepy animals. Resistance (to yawning) is futile. Ages 2–up. (Aug.)