This book is a gem, from the artwork that resembles the glories of stained glass, to the cumulative power of the story's progress, to the highly original words Aardema has invented for the animals. It is also a vibrant tale of consequences and personal responsibility, even if it ends on a note of high comedy.

The Dillons's illustrations are sumptuous, boldly outlined and full of feeling. Each character is given a distinct personality: The iguana is a curmudgeon, the monkey is a piece of trouble, the mosquito is a menace. The artwork has that quality found in elaborate mosaics, where previously unrecognized images keep rising to the surface the longer you look.

As a read-aloud, the book has particular merit. Just watch as five-year-olds try to wrap their lips around sounds like "purup" and "nge nge nge." Read with verve, the story pulses with life. Even the most timid of listeners are happy to join in that last KPAO!

There is an unmistakable dignity that comes off the page here, a sense of the genuine that is also on display in Aardema's other books, or in the titles Goggles and The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.