Kangaroo and Cricket

Siomades (The Itsy Bitsy Spider) points out the likeness between two unlikely animals in each spread. ""Kangaroo and cricket.../ both can jump./ Camel and turtle.../ both have a hump."" Fish and hippo both swim; and, as readers can see from a spread of a cross-sectioned hill that houses a bone and an acorn, ""Dog and squirrel.../ both bury things."" A few pairings are a stretch (""Whale and walrus.../ both are big""), and an octopus and bat's tendency to hide results in a spread so dark that neither creature is identifiable. In the collage illustrations of brightly decorated paper (painted with watercolor and gouache), the simplified faces with round googly eyes have a cartoonish look. The concluding spread announces, ""I have something in common with everyone,"" and brings together all the animals, but leaves the ""I"" a mystery. Still, this cheerful little book may prompt readers to consider how much all creatures have in common. Ages 2-6. (Sept.)