There's plenty to see at 3 Maple Street, a bustling apartment building with seven units. On the second floor, Mr. Bear is just waking up, but it's bedtime for Mr. Owl in the attic. Before Little Rabbit's birthday cake even comes out of the oven, Mr. Fox calls to ask if Little Fox can stay with the Rabbits, because his baby brother will be born soon. Meanwhile, the Cat family starts moving their furniture into a third-floor unit. Later, Goldilocks climbs through the window into the Foxes' unit. She snacks, snoozes, and leaves. Other nursery-tale characters lurk outside. The book's large format (14½? x 12?), accommodates the whole cutaway building on each double-page spread. The structure of the composition brings order to detailed, ever-changing interiors and offers a good view of the action as the day progresses. Observant kids will pick up on visual clues indicating what might happen next. Though the text focuses on the busy Rabbit household, other narratives are unfolding simultaneously in the pleasant, line-and-wash illustrations. A big, bright, engaging picture book.

It's the start of a new day at 3 Maple Street. But not just any day -- it's Little Rabbit's birthday!

One day's worth of activities-and some special events-in the lives of various anthropomorphized animals sharing an apartment building are described and displayed in this French-Canadian import.Each double-page spread, beginning with the cover, shows a cutaway view of the four-story building. Two to four sentences per view offer dialogue and descriptions, with much of the straightforward text centering on the Rabbit family. Several parallel narratives are briefly referred to though they occur primarily in the illustrations. Friends and family celebrate Little Rabbit's birthday; the Cat family moves in; Mr. Bear is sick in bed; the Fox family welcomes a new member; Little Hedgehog eagerly awaits his father's return; the "rascally Mouse triplets" raise havoc; an owl attempts to get a good day's rest; and a mischievous little ghost takes an unexpected trip to the first floor before returning to the dark attic. In addition, several fairy-tale characters make cameo appearances, and a bird family has their own little adventure, providing even more reasons to pore over the pictures. Pastel colors and a relatively limited palette give the detailed illustrations, reminiscent of Allan Ahlberg's and Richard Scarry's, a light touch and keep them from feeling too busy. The cozy setting and the characters' smiling faces and round red cheeks help to set the cheerful tone and make the friendly coexistence of predators and prey believable. (This book was reviewed digitally with 14-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)Dubuc's delightful domestic dramas will entertain children and adults alike. (Picture book. 4-8)

This day-in-the-life tale takes place in a modest apartment building seen in Richard Scarry-style cutaways. Sweetly tinted spreads by Dubuc (Up the Mountain Path) show three floors of flats, plus an attic garret and storage, all of whose line-drawn inhabitants are busy with their own, sometimes intersecting story arcs. On the ground floor, preparations are ongoing for Little Rabbit-s birthday. Second-floor inhabitant Mr. Bear spends the day in bed with a cold (a canine doctor comes and goes), and a cat family moves into floor three. The animals, including some natural predator-prey pairs, live in harmony alongside one another. When Little Rabbit-s sister burns the birthday cake, it-s no trouble (-Mama Rabbit makes another cake and pops it in the oven-), floor two-s Little Fox stays with the Rabbit family while his sibling is born, and Little Rabbit-s party is gaily attended by almost all of the neighbors (unwell Mr. Bear is brought a slice of cake). Small moments and incidents, including insect appearances and outdoor fairy tale shenanigans, have a gentle cumulative effect. This book will prompt contented rereads and conversations about neighbors, sharing, and community. Ages 3-7. Agent: Veronique Kirchoff, VeroK Agency. (Oct.)