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I Wish I Were A...

I Wish I Were A...
Written by Werner Holzwarth
Illustrated by Stefanie Jeschke
Translated from the German by Talia Rebecca Ergas
Sky Pony Press, 2013. Unpaged picture book.

An alert little meerkat at the zoo observes all of the amazing animals around him, and wishes he could be more like them. Oh, to be silly like the chimpanzee, strong like the bear, or mighty like the lion! But then, when a shadow falls over the habitat, the meerkat quickly whistles and warns everyone that potential danger is afoot. This amazes the other animals, who now wish they could be a quick lookout like the meerkat! I love this cheeky story. Each animal (especially Mr. Meerkat) is so lively and expressive. The author's use of repetition is perfect for this style of humor, and children will love the book as a read-aloud.

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