Hawkeye, read on. You have to read a bit more to make it clear. The helper fit for man was not found among the animals so God made woman. 20: ";but for man there was not found a helper fit for him. 21: So the Lord God causes a deep sleep to fall ...." so that a rib could be taken out to make woman. It is quite clear that the initial search for a fit helper was among the animals and that woman was made only because not fit helper was found among the animals. Don't just read a few bits and pieces
I think that between Ringman's and my own explanations, you have the answer to what seemed to you a contradiction. As Ringman said, the part with the animals was to show Adam that none of the beasts are helpers like unto him. In this section we read a reference to God having made all the beasts and fowl, not a statement that God made them then and there. It was interposed between 1) God stating that he was going to make a helper (singlular) like unto Adam, and 2) the story of making Eve from Adam's rib. The various beasts were not what God was referring to when he said he would make a helper like unto Adam.
