Ten Little Beasties

PreS-Gr 1—Begin with one weird and wacky, black-and-white beastie, then add an additional, but very different-looking one, to each subsequent page, and you have the Emberleys' newest offering, done with their inimitable twist and style. Looking a little like what one might expect to find under the microscope, each creature is fantastical and geometric, but with a splotch of color to add to the exotic designs each one sports. Each spread is of a different vibrant color, with the appropriate number of beasties placed on it. The text can be sung to the tune of "Ten Little Indians," though Adrian Emberley has written an original melody to accompany the book, which can be found on the website mentioned on the back cover. Once all 10 are together, it takes a few more pages to figure out that one of them is eating the others, which is why readers have to count back down, where they discover that one of the smallest beasties gets the last word—or bite. Some of the beasties will remind children of familiar creatures, while others are unique; in either case, it's a feast of beasts and brilliant colors for young readers.—Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID