Zooloween

At the direction of zookeeper Sue, shown with brown skin and spectacles, the City Zoo crew come out of their cages and habitats for a rowdy Halloween costume parade in this rhyming revel. From a snake dressed as a carrot to a hopping cotton-tailed cow, the animals joyfully don all manner of goofy accoutrements to take part in the masquerade. A local news reporter narrates, and happy families portrayed with various skin tones look on. Katz rolls out plenty of silliness for the occasion: "Take a glance but/ please don't eat a/ walking, marching/ grilled-cheese cheetah!" And Laberis's critters, rendered in boldly hued digital images, clearly understand the brief, strutting their stuff while exuding a fun, upbeat flamboyance. Ages 4--8. (July)

The only thing more exciting than a zoo animal is a costumed zoo animal. "Big news flash--it's Zooloween!" enthuses news anchor Mike Minor. Zookeeper Sue is ready to lead the pack. Today, the animals get to strut their stuff in costume for a crowd of thrilled onlookers. Rhyming verse and colorful digital art depict, among other fabulously be-costumed creatures, a pig dressed as a superhero, a penguin in a firefighter's uniform, and a "grilled-cheese cheetah." Kids and adults will have a great time identifying the creatures and what they've chosen to dress as. Though some readers will note that a few of the couplets don't quite rhyme and are at times a bit uneven, the images are exuberantly joyful and make up for any slight rhyming infractions. It all ends, of course, with a stampede, turning poor Zookeeper Sue's well-executed parade into a wild rumpus and giving readers an idea of what things might look like if chimps, ostriches, and bears took over the zoo. Order is restored at last, and with an unexpected twist, the "best dressed" winner is revealed. This tale will make an excellent choice for a lap read or storytime; for added fun, pair it with a nonfiction book about real-life animals. Mike Minor presents white, while Sue is brown-skinned. A jubilant costume party from beginning to end. (Picture book. 2-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.