Animals enter one by one to join the parade as they march, jump, and creep their way across the pages of this sturdy board book. Each double-paged spread features the entrance of a new animal, the name highlighted in a new color: “One bear / One dog / One cat / One frog.” The ending features a surprise as all the animals gather around to see who is peeking into a mirror set in the final page. Young readers will delight in seeing themselves join the menagerie of animals and may even begin some word recognition, thanks to the uncomplicated text. Readers may have to use a bit of imagination to give this book more versatility, adding in some memory games or animal sounds, but its repetitiveness adds to its appeal. Simple, yet colorful illustrations of the various animals are set on a plain white background, making this a clutter-free selection, perfect for the youngest viewer. Sturdy enough for small hands and short enough for repeated bedtime readings. (Board book. 1-4)
