Roly Poly Pangolin
Very few children will know what a pangolin is, especially preschoolers, but this scaly baby animal evidently has many of the same fears as little kids. In large type and rhyming sentences, listeners are told how Roly Poly is scared of new things, like something that might bite, bugs for dinner, playing with strange animals, and monster sounds. So Roly Poly does what pangolins do: he rolls up into a ball. When he peeks out, he sees another ball peeking back! He has found a friend. “Roly Poly, very small, / feeling better, feeling tall. / So much to see, so much to do . . . / So much nicer when it’s two!” The scaly creatures are playfully but accurately illustrated, with the addition of expressive faces to reflect emotions. An author’s note explains that pangolins are an endangered species and makes a plea for readers to visit her Web site to learn how to help. Book proceeds will go to Cuc Phuong National Park, in Vietnam, where research is being conducted. --Julie Cummins