THE FLYING ARK

A breezy, enthralling look at how wild animals are safely transported by air, with big, hilarious cartoon illustrations. As newcomer Jackson tells it, some creatures are easy to please; just crate up ostriches, kangaroos (but pad the top, please), and sloths; give flamingoes and hummingbirds plenty of company; be sure giraffes are facing backwards; and bury heavy- drinking elephants knee-deep in absorbent peat moss. Lions and leopards prefer to travel in darkness, but birds need enough light to see their food. The author supplements her survey with boxes of random facts, sometimes oversimplified (``Elephants are the only animal with four knees. . .'') but selected with a keen appreciation for the intended audience: ``When they are hot, kangaroos lick their armpits to cool down.'' Bardell depicts each animal passenger with human eyes and comically exaggerated expressions—generally anxious or dismayed, although the flamingoes gossip amiably, and the huge, looming gorilla nibbles daintily on tiny jam and honey sandwiches. This is written in generalities, but touches on a topic rarely, if at all, covered elsewhere, making it a delightful choice for either pleasure or purposeful reading. (Nonfiction. 6-9)