The Brownstone

PreS-Gr 2—Six animal households try to get along in this wry reprint originally published in 1973. Noise, odors, and menacing neighbors send one household after another to knock on the live-in owl landlord's door. He orchestrates apartment swaps that only make matters worse until he settles on the perfect arrangement: like-minded neighbors find one another, prey escape predators, and the bear family can finally settle in for their winter nap. Repetitive text, plenty of sound effects, and increasing hullabaloo lend the story the feel of an old yarn. While it would make a wonderful read-aloud, only a handful of pictures are large enough to share with groups. Most illustrations show a cutaway view of the brownstone interior, allowing readers to peek into all six apartments at once. The pen-and-ink drawings by New Yorker cartoonist Mack add humorous details and a cheerful, almost Seussian absurdity. A silly tale about neighborliness and problem-solving that will work best for small groups or one-on-one sharing.—Sarah Stone, San Francisco Public Library