Published by Kids Can Press

Summary:  Every page of this oversized book shows the same cutaway of a large house with animal inhabitants ranging from a family of mice to a bear (ignore the ominous fact that the mice are sandwiched between an owl above them, and foxes below).  A few sentences tell the story of their day: a young rabbit is having a birthday party; a bear is sick in bed; Mom Fox is about to have a baby.  These events play out as the day goes on, but sharp-eyed readers will notice other details in the illustrations.  Three pigs hide from a wolf, as a blonde girl (perhaps named Goldilocks?) breaks into the foxes’ home while they’re away and eats and sleeps there.  By the last page, most inhabitants (except the owl) are settling down for the evening and the story concludes, “And what a day it has been for everyone!” 32 pages; ages 3-7.

Pros:  The activity isn’t quite as manic as a Richard Scarry book, but the many different animals and their activities will bring his work to mind.  I found myself laughing out loud at some of the illustrations, particularly the fairy tale characters and other side stories that aren’t written about in the text.  Probably not a great book for a group read-aloud, but a perfect one to pore over one-on-one.

Cons:  The book’s oversized format (14 inches tall, and almost a foot wide) may make it hard to fit on the library’s shelves.

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