PEEK-A-WHO TOO?

Lift the flaps to find out which creatures are making each sound.

Each double-page spread of this triangular book opens into a diamond shape, featuring a question about an animal sound written in large, bold, black letters on solidly colored flaps: “Who TRUUUMPETS? // Who says GROWWWL?” The repetitive structure of the questions makes this text feel like a poem. When readers lift the flaps, some of which hinge up and some of which hinge down, they will delight in finding gorgeously illustrated wild animals ranging from an elephant and a tiger through a monkey, an owl, a parrot, a lion, a frog, a bee, a mosquito, and a crocodile to a bear. Each illustration is colorful and heavily detailed, providing readers with visually rich, patterned paintings that invite close looks. The animals chosen are either already familiar to most children or readily found in many children’s books. Mroziewicz’s use of onomatopoeia makes this an enjoyable and effective read-aloud for younger children. The final spread unfortunately breaks the poetic pattern of the earlier text, transitioning from the question about vocalization to “Who sleeps all winter? ZZZZZZ ZZZZZZ.” The change feels like a bit of a jolt from the original rhythm, but overall it is a well-designed book that stands out for its gorgeous illustrations.

A visually enticing book based on a simple and entertaining concept.