NOSE TO TOES

Pretending to be an animal can be fun, especially when there are so many to choose from. Squirting soap becomes a slippery fish in the paws of a bear fishing along a stream. A yummy ice-cream cone becomes a juicy strawberry in the tiny paws of a nibbling mouse. A big plate of spaghetti becomes a worm being tugged out of the garden by a robin. Each two-page spread pictures a child performing an activity that resembles the animal on the facing page. An active imagination turns each one of the children in this book into a different animal. Pastels create the soft washes of color in each illustration adding to the dreamy quality of this imaginative story. Easy rhymes coupled with an invitation to play along with the characters would make this a perfect read-aloud. A short section on animal trivia will challenge readers to find out more about animals in nature. While it can’t hold a candle to Pretend You’re a Cat (1990), it’s an imaginative romp that will have children pretending to be all the creatures they see. (Picture book. 2-5)