Can you cuddle like a koala?

PreS-Soft, dreamy illustrations in orangy browns set against pastel backgrounds depict a variety of cuddly creatures in action. The art, with its delicate colors and detailed rendering of the layered textures of fur, gives the animals a soft, huggable look, making this a perfect title for curling up together during one-on-one reading. Composed of questions in verse, the text asks children to stretch, leap, splash, or hug along with each animal. "Can you swing like a monkey, wild and free?" The final rhyme invites readers to close their eyes and drift off to sleep. The book is intended as a bedtime story, but most parents would not want to encourage this much activity before settling their children down for the night. Still, toddlers or younger preschoolers would enjoy copying these animal motions during a storytime, and the book, filled with spreads, is ideal for sharing with a large group. Pair it with other bedtime favorites for a fun read at an evening storyhour for pajama-clad youngsters.-Laurie Edwards, West Shore School District, Camp Hill, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Butler asks the young listener to copy a variety of animal actions such as swing like a monkey and wink like an owl. Although toddlers will love the invitation to get physically involved in the story, some of the actions, such as splash like an otter and hide in a tree are difficult for a toddler to imitate while listening to this bedtime story. The soft, close-up illustrations, without much background, bring the reader right into the scene. From HORN BOOK Spring 2004, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.