A lift-the-flap tale of animal butts—who could ask for anything more?
In this 8-inch-square board book, imported from France, each page boasts a full-size flap with an extreme close-up photo of an animal’s derrière. Readers are invited to guess whose backside is pictured and raise the flap for the answer. Frattini has captured an impressive array of rear ends on film, even a bumblebee and a porcupine. A large image of the animal, from the front and in its habitat, is hidden under each flap. On a boldly colored background, several animal facts appear on the flap’s verso in an appropriately playful and conversational tone, while a smaller picture of the animal floats alongside as spot art. A few of the creatures are easy to guess, such as giraffe, cow and squirrel, but there are several stumpers here: okapi, ibex and penguin. The last spread has eight more mini flaps of animal buttocks to enjoy as part of a rapid-fire guessing game. With thoughtfully rounded corners, the flaps are quite sturdy. The trim size and the content will make it appealing to kids who have long moved beyond board books.
A distinctive, funny and informative entry into the lift-the-flap genre—kids will hate to see it coming to an end. (Board book. 3-7)
