One of my favorite recent picture books is My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall. The premise is that the narrator begins comparing his emotions to those of an animal, with a deceptively simple illustration in bold, bright colors to accompany it. For instance, “snappy as a crab” or “thoughtful as an owl” leads to more humorous analogies, such as “peaceful as a portly walrus lounging on a towel.” The rhymes are gentle, never overbearing, but what’s magical is the art: each animal is composed of hearts. Children love to hear it read repeatedly, and …

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