Zoogie Boogie Fever! An Animal Dance Book

PreS-Gr 1—After the zoo closes, an assortment of animals come together to party the night away in an energetic romp. When the coast is clear, the creatures don a wide variety of dance attire, from ballet shoes to leg warmers, and "zoogie boogie" under the disco ball. The patrolling zookeeper's bright flashlight beam dramatically halts the wild shindig throughout the evening, but doesn't prevent the revelers from cavorting until the break of dawn. When the zoo opens, they finally get some shut-eye, with scattered remnants from the night's festivities being the zookeeper's only clue that something was amiss. Rim's spunky watercolor and collage illustrations with textured elements portray a quirky menagerie echoing a variety of dance styles, including a disco-dancing giraffe, a ballerina flamingo, and break dancing penguins. The narration builds suspense before revealing the after-hours celebration by instructing readers to slowly turn the page and "DON'T. TELL. ANYONE." Multiple dances are mentioned and are reflected in the illustrations, including the tango and foxtrot. The visually busy compositions with discordant colors capture the unbridled party vibe, although variations and inconsistencies in the rhyme and rhythm of the text may diminish the energy for some readers.