Determined narrator Bear searches here, there, and everywhere for the rare, red-breasted goose in Aline Portman's charming English-language debut, This Is How to Spot Animals!, translated from the Dutch by the Mildred L. Batchelder Award-winning Laura Watkinson (Mikis and the Donkey).
Clad in orange shorts and equipped with binoculars and a thermos, Bear settles in for a day of animal spotting, hoping to get a glimpse of a red-breasted goose. "Spotting animals isn't easy," Bear says. "But I'm very, very good at it." Bear stares intently at the sky as a snail, a fox, a tortoise, and other wildlife frolic and play on the ground. When Bear falls asleep--"Never lose focus!"--animals run by. Later, Bear stretches precariously across a pond to investigate, suggesting readers "make sure [they're] in a comfortable position," and a squirrel crosses Bear's back as though it were a bridge, followed by five geese. Although Bear offers many excellent tips for animal spotting ("Explore the area!"), they don't see any animals themselves. "We're out of luck. There's nothing to see here." (Except, of course, for "a bear in orange pants" and the red-breasted goose standing on its back.)
Portman uses a limited color palette in her pencil, pastel, and marker drawings. This minimalist format focuses readers on the menagerie traipsing through the pages, eluding Bear's sight. Broken outlines, saturated colors, and realistic yet whimsical depictions enhance the characters' rollicking movement. Watkinson's translation features lively text and matches the illustration's frisky spirit. This Is How to Spot Animals! will likely tickle animal-loving funny bones and make storytime an absolute delight. --Jen Forbus, freelancer