Hoot, Howl, Hiss

The very essence of simplicity, this book introduces readers to animal sounds as well as the habitats--woods, barnyard, jungle--where the critters may be found. The text is minimal (``crickets chirp''; ``bears growl''), but just right for curling up and reading together and, of course, for practicing those enticing noises. For her subjects, Koch ( Just One More ) rounds up the usual suspects (pig, frog, duck) but has thrown in a couple of unfamiliar ones (mountain goat, marmot) for good measure. With a page layout that's clean as a whistle, graced by Koch's sunny, slightly impressionistic watercolors, youngest readers couldn't ask for a more cheerful, upbeat first look at animals and their noises. Ages 2-up. (Aug.)