School Library Journal Review
PreSLittle eyes will find plenty to absorb in this large-format concept book, but it has some major flaws. As the title boasts, double-page spreads introduce shapes, colors, counting, rhymes, opposites, and manners. Szekeres also covers activities from getting dressed to going to bed, all with the help of a host of furry farm and forest creatures. The animals are personified to the point of goofy preciousness. The presentation of the concepts lacks imagination, and the verse is often awkward and forced, e.g., "purple socks with little clocks." The use of white space and the characters' clothing give the book a nostalgic look. Unfortunately, it is also a step backward compared to the many wonderful concept books available. For a fresher approach, try Lucy Cousins's Katy Cat and Beaky Boo (Candlewick, 1996).Lisa S. Murphy, formerly at Dauphin County Library System, Harrisburg, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Reminiscent of the work of the late Richard Scarry (to whom Szekeres gives a nod on her dedication page), this roundup of brief diversions for preschoolers sounds a familiar chord. Its oversized spreads are indisputably "busy," teeming with frolicking, cuter-than-cute animal characters clad in a festive array of outfits and accessories, from ballet shoes to propeller-topped beanies. The author introduces a smattering of concepts, including the alphabet, counting, opposites, animal sounds, shapes, colors, feelings and good manners. Though her approach lacks novelty, the amusements Szekeres offers nicely span the intended audience: youngest browsers can use this as a word book and those beginning to sound out words can practice their reading skills. Parents may eventually tire of the occasionally forced rhyme and incessant alliteration, yet little ones might indeed "love" the revved-up but cuddly cast of anthropomorphized critters. Ages 2-6. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
From manners to colors, counting to feelings, this concept book delivers it all with Szekeres's sweet animals done in cartoonish ink and watercolor drawings. Children will enjoy the silly humor, the look-and-find activities, and the large pages filled with interesting objects and actions. The presentation is remarkably similar to Richard Scarry's popular books. From HORN BOOK 1997, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
This compendium of toddler basics--the alphabet, shapes, colors, rhymes, alliteration, emotions, manners, opposites, the body, dressing up, and numbers--is more of a product than a book. The manual is divided into 15 short chapters--usually a double-page spread each. The alphabet section uses alliterative phrases: ``Jolly Jeremy jellies Joseph,'' in which a rabbit is seen spooning jelly onto his friend; ``Funny Frank flips flapjacks,'' in which a young mouse works next to the flames of a cast-iron stove; and ``Impossible Imogene irons ice cubes,'' which shows an electrical-accident-waiting-to-happen, a plugged- in iron atop puddles of melting ice. A section called ``We All Dress Up'' uses trite rhymes--``Black hat, how about that?''--to send readers searching for articles of clothing. Two pages of manners are too feeble to cover the universe of behavior, sharing, and table etiquette; on a page that shows the parts of the body, a rabbit's paw is labeled hand. Shapes, colors, and prepositions are covered in one chapter: ``Beverly balances on top of five fuchsia cylinders,'' an act that sounds dangerous, looks worse, and the color is not exactly fuchsia. Populated by wide-eyed, perennially cheerful animals, this book is no substitute for the wide range of titles (by Anne Rockwell, Byron Barton, and others) that turn concepts for preschoolers into high art. (Picture book. 2-6)
Booklist Review
Ages 2^-6. Not a picture book, but a big, illustrated book of rhymes and activities for young children, this volume will attract a ready audience. Each turn of a page brings another double-page spread full of animals cavorting in good-natured ways to illustrate yet another concept, such as the parts of the body, the letters of the alphabet, counting, colors, shapes, manners, feelings, and rhyming words. Bright with colorful washes, the lively drawings fill the pages with cheerful characters, intriguing details, and humor geared to a preschool audience. Parents may tire of the book before their children do, since few concept books today have such a child-centered sense of fun. --Carolyn Phelan
