Little Beauty and Silly Billy

Featuring two tales from author and illustrator Anthony Browne, this iconographic-animated compilation includes 2008's Little Beauty and 2006's Silly Billy. Based on a story about real-life gorilla Koko, Little Beauty focuses on the friendship between the sign-language-proficient primate and a kitten named Beauty. The duo enjoy doing everything together (including their business, as we see a silly shot of the pair on the toilet and in the litter box) until a scary movie causes Koko to lash out in anger—a situation smoothed over with a funny twist. In Silly Billy, a young worrier who finds reasons to fear everything from shoes to giant birds learns a trick from his granny about channeling his anxiety into Guatemalan worry dolls (placed under the pillow at night). However, Billy—who named each doll—eventually grows concerned that he's being unfair in worrying them…with charming results. Also featuring a conversation with Browne, this colorfully drawn and engaging two-fer is highly recommended. Aud: K, P. (J. Williams-Wood)