Party Animals

The Party Animals—purple elephant Beatrix, blue dog-like Phoebe, and orange cat Theodore—“make parties out of anything,” writes Lazar (Flat Cat). Raff (the Duck and Cat series) depicts the perpetually tickled crew as the epitome of jubilance; pencil and digital artwork with collage-like textures lends a subtle dimensionality to their high-spirited movements. Even when the milk spoils, the Party Animals celebrate; after all, now they have an excuse to eat cereal straight from the box. But Horace, a brown rodent labeled a “party pooper,” insists, “not everything that happens is worth celebrating.... Parties will be more special—even extraordinary—if you don’t hold them every single second!” The Party Animals are taken aback, and readers may find themselves leaning into Horace’s point: aren’t parties meant to punctuate life rather than define it entirely? Then Horace stubs his pinky toe, and after a beat, the Party Animals show that they are more than capable of quiet compassion, proffering a bandage, a consoling pat, and a glass of water. This moment of tenderness bridges the gap between the two perspectives, and reveals that merriment and empathy can coexist—a fact that’s well worth celebrating. Ages 3–5. Author’s agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Marcia Wernick, Wernick & Pratt. (Mar.)