Paul Thurlby's Wildlife

Following Paul Thurlby's Alphabet, the eponymous artist weds a cartoon aesthetic with a graphic-art style in handsome compositions that feature anthropomorphic animals in weathered, faux-vintage illustrations with the feel of offbeat WPA posters. Facts about the animals appear beneath each illustration: %E2%80%9CKangaroos balance on their tails to kick with both feet,%E2%80%9D writes Thurlby, as a kangaroo wearing a fierce expression and a karate uniform performs a move against a green graph-paper backdrop. The boldly styled animals%E2%80%94which include a disco-dancing bee, a bear sitting on a toilet in the woods, and a crocodile wiping away tears as it gnaws on a human leg%E2%80%94offer quirky fun on each page. Ages 5%E2%80%93up. Agent: Jean Sagendorph, Mansion Street Literary Management. (Mar.)