GROWL! GROWL!
From the Can You Say It, Too? series
by Nosy Crow ; illustrated by Sebastien Braun
In this simple, inviting and sturdy lift-the-flap title, wild animals enjoy several rounds of peekaboo with readers.
“Who’s that behind the rock?” Readers can pull back the rock-shaped flap to reveal “a hungry bear! Growl! Growl!” Next they’ll encounter a “pretty parrot” among the flowers, a “wiggly snake” beside the stump and a “playful monkey” hanging in the branches. On the final spread, a “happy tiger” resting in the grass is also a flap herself, and her three cubs cavort behind her for some bonus fun. Parts of each animal appear behind the flaps—the monkey’s tail or the snake’s tongue, for example—to provide little hints for older or repeat readers. The graphically simple critters in a cheery palette are easy to recognize as well as lively and engaging. Publishing simultaneously, Roar! Roar! takes readers on a similar expedition to find animals mostly native to the African continent. The thick flaps and thicker pages make both offerings likely to stand up to the inevitable punishment they will endure from toddlers clamoring for more.
With this expansion of the Can You Say it, Too? series, Braun and Nosy Crow prove they’ve hit upon a winning formula.
(Board book. 6 mos.-2)