Esmé Shapiro uses clever repetition, inversion and variation. Her artwork is beautiful and vibrant, rendering Okoo's wilderness in a warm earthy colour palette. The human environments are more colourful and saturated and it has excellent visual contrast for reading as a board book.

My child and I reread this one quite a bit. Ooko is full of crunchy consonants and packed with poetic devices. There's an almost dadaist sense of humour. I love reading it aloud, and I would recommend this as a book to regularly read to a baby at bedtime. I've enjoyed all of Esmé Shapiro's other books, but I find that this one is the most universal in its themes and presentation.

Summary:

Ooko, a fox, is lonely and envious of the companionship that dogs have with humans. Ooko makes changes to their appearance to gain a near-sighted friend, and realizes that they have differing ideas on what constitutes a good time. Ooko casts off their disguise, chooses to live authentically, and in so doing makes a funny little friend.