Rhino Rumpus

Toddler-PreS—Three rambunctious little rhinos wreak havoc while their mother tries to coax them through their bedtime routine. They tussle, fight, grunt, and bite—while poor Mama becomes more and more despondent and frustrated. But don't worry—(spoiler alert!) all's well that ends well, with Mama on the receiving end of a gigantic rhino hug! Allenby's jazzy verse tries to evoke a rollicking tone but occasionally seems forced, with some stilted lines: "Here's a kiss and here's a song—/Ohhh, from your hooves to the tip of your horn/Ohhh, I've loved you since the day you were born/And when you wake,/please get along!" Meanwhile, Anderson's pencil and crayon illustrations attempt this same playfulness, but the rhinos' mouths and bodies often appear slightly stretched or contorted, resulting in some strange-looking characters.