Animals Home Alone

K-Gr 2—This wordless book is a playful romp that shows what happens when the humans are away. On the title page, a father and daughter walk out of their tidy home. A cat dozes on an easy chair, a goldfish swims in a bowl, and framed pictures of animals adorn the walls. On the following pages, creatures climb out of their frames, cages, and bowls. They chase one another, make messes, fall in love, swim in the toilet, and eat everything in sight. Suddenly, they see the family approach and scramble to get things more or less back to normal. The flyleaf asks readers a number of questions such as: "Why does the piggy have a stomachache?" Readers can trace individual stories through the pages. The little dramas will have children (and adults) flipping back and forth for more whimsical and hilarious details. Children will enjoy poring over the art alone, or laughing with friends.—Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK