Pass It On! Oink-A-Doodle-Doo by Jeff Czekaj

PSSST!

I HAVE A SECRET...

A bright-pink pig opens the action on the title page as he stage whispers his secret in the ear of a reluctantly listening rooster:

OINK!

Insisting that the rooster pass it on, the pig watches expectantly as the messenger heads off to find a willing ear.

Rooster flit flits until he finds Cow. But he just can't help putting his own spin on Pig's secret:

OINK-A-DOODLE-DOO!

Cow takes in the message and galumphs off to pass the secret on to Frog. But he, too, adds his own personal touch, a fitting MOO!, to the message.

In his new version of the popular "telephone" or "gossip" game, Jeff Czekaj's latest, Cock-a-Doodle-Moo! (Balzer & Bray, 2012), uses the venerable cumulative tale format for his stylish cartoon illustrations. Frog adds his own ribbit to the mishmash of a message, and as it is passed on in turn to Crow, Owl, Horse, Sheep, Snake, Duck, Mouse, Donkey, Cat, and finally Dog, each one adding his own signature sound to the mixed message.

Dog is flummoxed with what he hears:

HEE-HAW-OINK-BAA-QUACK-CAW-RIBBING-HISS-NEIGH-MEOW-MOO-HOO-SQUEAK.

PASS IT ON, DOG!

Gulp! Dog is totally consternated.

"I CAN'T DO IT!" HE PANTS.

Of course, Pig is non-plussed with the muddled mess his friends have made of his message, but, ever the optimistic pig, he's instantly ready to try again, in this giggle-getter of a nonsense syllable-slinging story which begs to be read aloud--enthusiastically.

Alphabet Antics: ABC Animal Jamboree by Giles Andreae

HEL-LO. I'M THE ANGELFISH,
DARLING.

THE PRETTIEST THING IN THE SEA.

WHAT A SHAME THERE ARE NO OTHER CREATURES

GORGEOUS AND LOVELY AS ME.

The dynamic duo of author Giles Andreae and artist David Wojtowycz are back in their latest romp through the critter kingdom, this time an animal abecedarius combining their earlier collaborations, Rumble in the Jungle and Commotion in the Ocean.

In rhyming quatrains, Andreae takes the reader through the alphabet from angelfish to zebras, some cuddly and coy, like the self-confident angelfish above, some slightly sinister, such as the boa constrictor, and some quite rare, such as the narwhal:

THE NARWHAL HAS A HORN-LIKE TUSK,

AND SO HE SEEMS TO BE

AN OCEANS-SWIMMING UNICORN,

A MARVEL OF THE SEA.

Rhinos and quetzals, crocs and umbrella birds, all have their say in this ebullient entry into alphabet skills, beautifully combining catchy text and glowing, enticing illustrations in a way that will introduce early reading readiness in a most jolly picture book combination in ABC Animal Jamboree (Tiger Tales, 2010).

Also not to miss is this pair's top-selling Giraffes Can't Dance.

Dad's Day: Daddy Hug by Tim Warnes

Daddy spiky, (PORCUPINE)
Daddy fluffy,(OSTRICH)
Daddy dirty,
Daddy scruffy. (WARTHOG)

Across the animal kingdom, daddies come in all sorts, from the squeaky, chirping otter to the hiccuping, burping moose. English husband-and-wife team, Tim Warnes and Jane Chapman, who created the Mother's Day classic Mommy Mine, have collaborated on a picture book just for celebrating fathers, Daddy Hug. On this side of the big pond, Jane Chapman is the celebrated creator of all the lovable critters in Karma Wilson's Bear Snores On series, and in this lovely festival of fatherhood, she again puts her skill at portraying charming wild animals to work illustrating Warnes' bouncy rhyming text honoring the daddies of the wild.

Daddy buzz,
Daddy bumble. (BUMBLEBEE)
Daddy hungry,
Tummy rumble. (ORANGUTAN)

Ending with a happy hug between the many and varied daddies and their young, this little book offers much--opportunities to name different wild animals, from anacondas to walruses, and learn new adjectives, chances to rhyme words, and count the babies--and, oh, yes, a chance to give a hug back to daddies everywhere, all while enjoying the simple affection in the illustrations of young ones playing under their parents' proud protection.