Animals Undercover: The Underpants Zoo by Brian Sendlebach

If the residents of the zoo could wear underpants, what would they choose?

Most of us haven't spent a lot of time lingering over thoughts of zoo animals' lingerie, but cartoonist Brian Sendelbach has, and in his reently published The Underpants Zoo (Orchard Books, 2011) he is glad to enlighten readers with his review of rumble seat wear.

IT'S IMPORTANT FOR LIONS
TO APPEAR ROYAL AND GRAND.
CAMEL SAYS, "MINE KEEP
GETTING FILLED UP WITH SAND."

Zebra ("Do these stripes make my backside look too big?") varies the obvious pattern with polka-dotted panties; Octopus opts for duly dull drawers, but has to pull on four pairs at a time to cover whatever passes for his non-existent posterior; penguins prefer their underpants chilled and filled with icicles fresh from the freezer; and some of these unusual undies come with unwanted accessories:

IT MAY LOOK AS THOUGH ANTEATER
IS DOING SOME SILLY DANCE.
BUT LOOK CLOSELY AND YOU'LL SEE
HIS UNDERPANTS HAVE GOT ANTS!

Goofy animals in outrageous underpants, silly rhymes that get lots of giggles, and clever book design (the type is even set in Circus Mouse!) make this latest in the growing shelf of backside books a fun read for the emergent reader or the story circle set.