Animals are favorite characters in folk tales and fiction. Share these with your students:

• Why the Crab Has No Head; Retold and illustrated by Barbara Knutson; Carolrhoda 1987. This African creation tale explains why Nzambi Mpungu, creator of the earth and sky decided to give the boastful crab no head.

• The Three Billy Goats Gruff; Paul Galdone; Clarion Books 1973. Three goats trick a mean, ugly troll as they cross his bridge in search of green grass.

• Crictor; Tomi Ungerer; HarperCollins 1958. Crictor is a boa constrictor who comes to live in France, goes to school with the children, and later catches a burglar. He is awarded a medal and a statue is erected in his honor. Great fun.

• Rosie's Walk; Pat Hutchins; Macmillan Publishing Co. 1968. Rosie the hen unwittingly leads a hungry fox into one disaster after another. The text tells Rosie's story; the text tells the fox's story.

• Goodnight, Owl!; Pat Hutchins; Macmillan 1972. Repeating text and bright pictures introduce a tree-full of noisy animals.

      Your animal safari can encompass several curriculum areas. Count on animals to interest children in math concepts. These simple counting books are a good place to start:

• The Lifesize Animal Counting Book; Djinn von Noorden, Ed.; Dorling Kindersley 1994. A simple counting book with large, engaging photos of a variety of animals.

• One Cow Coughs; Christine Loomis; Ticknor & Fields 1994. A counting book of barnyard animals.

• Splash!; Ann Jonas; Greenwillow 1995. A counting book with simple pictures of animals found in and around a pond.

      For a rhyming, good time, and a visit to pond life, explore this book:

• In the Small, Small Pond; Denise Fleming; Henry Holt and Company 1993. Simple, rhyming text and bright pictures show animal activity at the pond.

      A is for animals, and these alphabet books will take you through the other twenty-five letters, as well:

• African Animals ABC; Phillippa-Alys Browne; Sierra Club Books 1995. Twenty-six African animals come to life in brilliantly colored illustrations. The text consists of simple rhymes.

• Amazon ABC; Kathy Darling, photographs by Tara Darling; Lothrop, Lee & Shepard 1996. Amazing photos of animal life in the Amazon Rain Forest. From the twisting vine snake to brightly-colored parrots and frogs, these animals grab the viewer's interest and make the alphabet come alive.

• A Bold Carnivore; Consie Powell; Roberts Rinehart 1995. Life-like color illustrations introduce twenty-six North American carnivores and the animals that are their prey. Brief text tells where the predator lives, how it hunts, and what animals it hunts.

      What's a safari without science? Children get to see animals close-up when you include non-fiction books with large, clear photos of animals. Even if the text is too complicated for the children, they will delight in the pictures. Try these favorites:

• Animals of the Seashore; Hidetomo Oda; Raintree Publishers 1986. Text in this non-fiction book is full of color photographs of seashore life. Text is too difficult for young children, but the pictures are invaluable.

• Heads; Ron and Nancy Goor; Atheneum 1988. Black and white photos illustrate how various animals' eyes, noses, ears and teeth help them survive. Children will enjoy and learn from the photos.

• Polar Animals; Norman Barrett; Franklin Watts 1988. The text, while simple, is too much for preschool children, but it introduces teachers to polar animal life. The photos of polar bears, penguins, puffins and other animals will appeal to all.

• Sand to Sea; Stephanie Feeney and Ann Fielding; A Kolowalu Book - Univ. of Hawaii Press (no copyright date given). Simple text and color photos of young children at the seashore introduce readers to marine life of Hawaii.

• Small Cats; Susan Lumpkin; Weldon Owen Pty Limited 1993. Except for the polar regions and some islands, wild cats live around the world. With color photos, this book concentrates on the smaller ones.

      Continue your safari as you travel through art museums looking for familiar animals in great works of art. Explore these books with your children and let the animals increase your powers of observation:

• Spot a Cat, Lucy Micklethwait; Dorling Kindersley 1995. Children hunt for cats in pictures of great artworks from many museums.

• Spot a Dog, Lucy Micklethwait; Dorling Kindersley 1995. Similar to the previous book, children hunt for dogs in pictures of great artworks.

      The best part about a literary animal safari is that it is never-ending. Prowl around your library to see what other animals you can snare. Then watch them capture your children's imagination and interest. Happy hunting!

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