Veering from the convivial, scene-centered graphic interpretation often associated with this classic, Würbs offers a sparer take, narrowing each scene to softly focused images that are more suggestive than representational. The poem's opening lines are accompanied by an image of a lone candle burning in a brass candleholder, and the sleigh's rooftop landing shows two shadowy reindeer heads emerging from behind a foregrounded stone chimney. Santa's...

When Farmer Brown goes on vacation, leaving his brother Bob in charge, Duck makes trouble by changing all his instructions to notes the animals like much better.

Bear's animal friends come to his rescue when he becomes lost and frightened in the woods.

From the moment he arrives, it is obvious that the new baby is boss and he gets whatever he wants, from drinks made-to-order around the clock to his executive gym.

Brief text and illustrations introduce baby zoo animals such as the Asian elephant, fennec fox, Sumatran orangutan, Tawny frogmouth, spotted hyena, aardvark, ocelot, Bengal tiger, and many others.