The conductor of the eponymous choir here is absolutely clear: this is a Meerkat Choir! - and no one else is welcome. Each new animal that tries to join the group is rejected, as the choir themselves look on with mixed feelings. But when they finally begin to sing, the conductor becomes equally angry with them, because of their poor performance. Will the meerkats put up with this, or will they find another way to sing...?

Originally published in Sydney last year (2017), Meerkat Choir is one of those picture-books where the majority of the narrative consists of dialogue, making it an excellent read-aloud selection. The artwork is colorful and cute, accentuating the humor of the story. My favorite scene, visually speaking, was the one in which the meerkats are welcomed by the other animals into a pan-species singing group. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about the importance of being inclusive and featuring choirs and/or singing. ( )