ANIMALS AT PLAY

Flaps reveal the playful antics of a menagerie of animals in this Dutch/Flemish import with a question-and-answer text.

On the verso of each double-page spread, a selection of four or five critters from the same habitat is introduced, such as “Animals in the Jungle” or “Animals in the Woods.” On the exterior of the large flap on the recto, a simple query appears about one of the creatures. “Is the seal swimming in the ocean all by itself?” is the query for the “Animals in the Ocean” double-page spread. Under that flap, the action of the scene is revealed with the players depicted on the facing page interacting together. This toddler bestiary depicts many of the stock players of board books, such as lion, elephant, cow, and pig, but there are a few rarities listed, such as robin (depicted as a European robin), hedgehog, and mole. The art skews toward the cute, depicting chubby beasts with oversized eyes and babyish, smiling faces. Those seeking accurate animal behavior will wish to look elsewhere, since that doesn’t appear to be the goal of this offering—predators and prey are awfully familiar in a couple of scenes. The flimsy flaps may not survive robust toddler play. A finger-sized indentation aids opening the flaps, but their pointy corners may poke little fingers.

Flimsy in both format and content.