So, who has the most thunderous burps: Bink the bat, or Bismark the sugar glider? Bink has a bright idea: "Let's have a burp-off!" Tobin the pangolin agrees to be the judge, and the competition is on. When Dawn, a red fox, pops out of the bush to find out who's making all the noise, a round of finger-pointing ensues which she responds that burps are natural. "But a burp-off? And blaming each other? Are those ways to be your best self?" Apologies ensue, and the rivalry ends in smiles and high fives. Appended notes (in smaller type) offer basic information about the actual creatures on which the cast is based, plus a lead to printable online resources. Labeled level 1 on the cover, this latest entry in the Nocturnals series pairs short, spaced outlines of very simply worded, mildly alliterative narrative to cartoon scenes of hypercute wildlife with anthropomorphic features and oversized eyes in a multi-chapter episode that gently prods emergent readers to think outside the belch.

K-Gr 2 The Nocturnals are Tobin the pangolin, Bismarck the sugar glider, and Dawn, the rather motherly red fox. They all wear blue scarves. Bink the bat does not. Bink is therefore not an official Nocturnal, and is, in fact, a bad influence. When Bink convinces Bismarck to have a burping contest, Tobin is peer-pressured into judging. The burping contest appears out of character for these well-mannered mammals. However, Dawn appears in the book's final chapter to advise the young ones that burping contests are rude. The story is divided into three simple chapters. The text is gently repetitive with words occasionally enlarged to show emphasis. Words like "burp" and "rumble" are presented in a large, stylized font. The yellow color of these words contrasts nicely with the predominantly gray and purple backgrounds. The animals have charm, but when they are presented either on a blank white background or in front of a dark forest, the effect is lackluster and fairly static. Artistic flourishes, like the moonlight reflecting off the purple leaves, add depth to otherwise flat scenes. VERDICT Recommended for collections where this growing series is already popular.Chance Lee Joyner, Haverhill P.L., MA