Night Animals by Gina Marino

One of the things I love about Gianna Marino is that, although she has a unique and recognizable style, she still manages to make each one of her books stand out on its own. I loved the gentle lesson of Too Tall Houses, the beauty and warmth of Following Papa's Song and now she brings us a humorous tale of exaggerated fears in Night Animals.

A skunk cheerfully greets a possum friend, who hastily shushes her "I'm hiding!" What are they hiding from? Night animals! Then along comes a scary wolf. But he's not after the skunk and possum (oops, too late for the skunk...) he's running from...scary night animals! One by one the animals panic until a small bat makes a trenchant observation "But you ARE night animals." On the other hand, maybe there is something scary out there...

I found this hilarious. The humorous details - possum's unfortunate encounters with skunk, the panic-eyed predators, deadpan comments, and surprise finish made me laugh out loud. Marino's illustrations are delightful. Against bold black background are brightly glowing  fur, eyes, and finally the moon.

Verdict: This would make a great read-aloud with plenty of giggles for the kids, or an even more humorous puppet show. Recommended.

ISBN: 9780451469540; Published 2015 by Viking/Penguin; Borrowed from another library in my consortium