Animal Masquerade

PreS-Gr 1—A curious lion discovers an invitation to the animal masquerade tacked to a tree. "Come one, come all," it says. "Disguises are a must!" The lion ponders his costume choices and decides to dress up as an elephant. What disguise does the elephant don? A parrot, that's what, and the parrot goes "disguised as… A turtle." The parade of costumed guests proceeds from there, comprised of familiar animals like a dog, cat, and tiger, as well as a menagerie of more exotic creatures, including an armadillo, millipede, marmoset, and unicorn. Bringing up the rear, the platypus does not wear a costume: "He looks like he's already in disguise." Dubuc interrupts the repetitive flow of the text with well-placed and humorous observations and asides. "The teeny-tiny fish went disguised as… A cat. That makes him a catfish!" Set against a white background, the comical pencil crayon illustrations are brimming with personality, and the childlike charm of the simple drawings contributes to the overall appeal of the book. Wishing that they, too, could attend the masquerade, children will eagerly turn the pages to discover the disguise chosen by their favorite animal. Pair this finely illustrated, amusing picture book with Lindsey Craig's Farmyard Beat (2011) or Judy Sierra's Wild About Books (2004, both Knopf).—Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA