ANIMAL STORIES FOR BEDTIME
by Georgie Adams and illustrated by Atsuko Morozumi
Vibrant, textured illustrations of anthropomorphized animals in cozy landscapes tell five simple, tabbed stories about everyday themes—home, friendship and helping. Some illustrations are full-page, some have a border, others contain significant amounts of white space. One section is “picture stories,” with no words. After identifying the characters presented in the margin, readers can seek-and-find, creating a simple story in more-or-less familiar settings (park, hospital, street, harbor). The concepts are understandable to preschool readers, but older siblings could delve deeper into the stories. The tabs, coded with iconic pictures, will prove useful in finding a favorite or specific story for the night. All of the stories resolve in a peaceful solution for the characters and a goodnight ending for the child. (Picture book. 2-5)