THE BEASTLY FEAST

In his picture-book debut, Goldstone serves up a grand meal of rhymes garnished by a colorful salsa of animal prints by Lent. Animals arrive at a feast, every one bearing a food that rhymes—or almost rhymes—with its name. Parrots bring carrots, antelopes bring cantaloupe, and mosquitos bring burritos. As the party gets wilder, the food and animals get jumbled: “Moose, juice, flies, and mice, muffins, puffins, pies and rice.” At the finale, everyone is full and exhausted, ready for the armadillos, who bring along some pillows. Joyous prints and cut-outs use color, texture, and shapes, but there are also elements of storytelling not mentioned in the text: The sight of flies airlifting pies to the extravaganza is not to be missed. (Picture book. 2-6)