Richard Scarry, that genius at engaging and entertaining children, always insisted on featuring animals as characters. Scarry, who died in 1994, believed children might or might not identify with the way a person looked, but with animals, children could project themselves into the story no matter what. Four new picture books all wisely use an assortment of animal pairs to explore important childhood issues like sharing, overcoming differences and conflict resolution.
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Cooperate or perish: From “Horsefly and Honeybee.”
ODD DOG
Written and illustrated by Claudia Boldt
32 pp. NorthSouth. $16.95. (Picture book; ages 3 to 6)
BAT AND RAT
By Patrick Jennings
Illustrated by Matthew Cordell
40 pp. Abrams. $16.95. (Picture book; ages 4 to 
HORSEFLY AND HONEYBEE
Written and illustrated by Randy Cecil
32 pp. Henry Holt & Company. $16.99 (Picture book; ages 4 to
Z IS FOR MOOSE
By Kelly Bingham
Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
32 pp. Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins Publishers. (Picture book; ages 2 to 6)
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This one’s on me: From “Odd Dog.”
What makes two creatures B.F.F.’s? In the hilarious “Odd Dog,” the British author-illustrator Claudia Boldt suggests that opposites — or at least those with divergent tastes in food — attract. Peanut, a dachshund-like dog, adores apples and waits for them to fall from his yard tree. But he suspects his rotund neighbor Milo covets them, and might even steal them. When Milo (who actually prefers dog bones) finds one of these prized possessions in his bowl, he generously offers it to Peanut. Hence the two become best friends. With minimalist art, muted colors, engaging characters and a dynamic and varied layout of art and text, “Odd Dog” presents a ridiculous story that will appeal to dog lovers everywhere — as well as fans of subversive art in the style of Jon Klassen (“I Want My Hat Back”).
In Patrick Jennings’s “Bat and Rat” readers meet another pair of animals, both occupants of the Hotel Midnight, yet unlikely to become friends. But although Bat lives on the top floor and Rat in the basement, the two rendezvous to play music together and share simple joys like going out for ice cream. They only really differ on what flavor to choose — Mosquito Ripple, Butter Beetle Pecan or Mint Fly Chip? In the end, the duo perform Rat’s new song inspired by the events of the evening. The talented illustrator Matthew Cordell keeps this soufflé of an adventure rising; in two stellar double-page spreads he shows Bat swooping down to the lobby while Rat painstakingly climbs the steps to get to the same place.
Randy Cecil begins “Horsefly and Honeybee” with two characters fighting for the same flower. Both Horsefly and Honeybee lose a wing in the scuffle, becoming easy prey for a hungry bullfrog. Teaming up in adversity, they fly off, each using one wing. With a saturated, brightly colored palette, Cecil creates quirky characters who deliver a clear message, stated in a quotation by Luciano De Crescenzo: “We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another.” Readers will also come away with a new vocabulary word: “Drat.”
Last but certainly not least (as this clever book shows) is “Z Is for Moose” — one of the best picture books this year. Kelly Bingham has already displayed skill with young adult novels like “Shark Girl.” In “Z Is for Moose” she turns her creative intelligence to the 2- to 6-year-old crew, demonstrating how strong writing can be combined with an exciting visual interpretation. It’s hard to come up with something new for an alphabet book, but Bingham has done just that. The book begins predictably enough, “A is for apple,” but by the letter D, Moose has inserted his ungainly self into the story while his dramatic foil, Zebra, protests. Moose, seeking the limelight, tries to take over each letter as it comes up, even crossing out words like “ring” and “snake” and substituting “moose” in their stead. No starlet has ever been as eager for fame as this exuberant animal. Finally, Zebra, that preserver of traditional alphabet harmony, finds a way to settle matters — amicably.
For over 30 years, the Caldecott winner Paul O. Zelinsky has been bringing his artistic and interpretive talents to picture books. Although Zelinsky often works in stories better suited to slightly older readers, he brilliantly adapts his style to every book — whether using American folk art for “Swamp Angel” or luscious compositions resembling the old masters’ in “Rapunzel,” making him one of the most versatile illustrators working today. In “The Wheels on the Bus,” he showed how inventive he could be for the youngest readers, and “Z Is for Moose” can stand proudly beside this classic.
Opening the book on the right hoof, Zelinsky uses the copyright page for small portraits of the characters who will be playing out the drama. On the final page, Moose and Zebra invite readers to go through the journey again, something they’ll want to do given the vitality, action and emotion in the art. Characters dance and prance and pull readers along to the next page, making them eager to learn how these two silly animals resolve their differences. Leaving lots of room for adult readers to amplify the story, Zelinsky has created some of his happiest and sunniest artwork thus far. It’s almost as if he were updating Richard Scarry with the bite and wit that has always been his hallmark.
All four books testify that a playful picture book merits being read again and again. Each accomplishes, in its own ways, one of the most important goals for the genre: showing young children just how much laughter and enjoyment can be found in the pages of a book.
Anita Silvey is the creator of the online Children’s Book-a-Day Almanac and the author, most recently, of “The Plant Hunters.”