Opossum

Young readers can get a firm grasp on these die-cut board books, thanks to the sturdy hook that forms their tops and the handle-type hole that goes through the volumes' bottom halves. Perky and concise first-person texts describe the behaviors and homes of the books' various stars, and acquaint readers--via names in boldface type--with a handful of the other animals that occupy the same habitats. Detailed pencil and watercolor artwork features an abundance of bright-eyed, friendly-looking beasts--even the snoozing crocodile in Bat appears relatively benign. The majority of the illustrations play off the books' unusual shape: the hooks are just the right size for a tree's branch or the tail of a raccoon, opossum, lemur or monkey. These sturdy volumes intelligently introduce their subjects; the lemur and the opossum, which receive relatively little attention in children's literary menageries, are especially welcome here. Ages 3-5. (Sept.)