Book!

I like the way you open.
I can turn your pages by myself.
I like the way you close.
I can put you on my shelf.

Books can be for silly times or quiet, for reading alone or sharing . . . but always to enjoy. A small child discovers their magic for the very first time in this exuberant ode to book appreciation by award-winning poet Kristine O’Connell George. Brightly colored illustrations are a perfect match for the spare, rhyming text, and thick pages with rounded corners make this a special first “real” book for baby.

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Simple words and pictures capture a small child's first encounter with a book.

George (Little Dog Poems) and Smith (Beach Day) present an endearing homage to the pleasures of books. When the toddler narrator opens a present and discovers a volume entitled Bunnies, he and the book immediately become inseparable except for a brief moment when he observes its ingenious design: "I like the way you close./ I can put you on my shelf." The book can also be donned as a hat, loses no appeal when turned upside down and can be appreciated by a wide range of audiences from the pet cat to an infant sibling ("I'll show you to the baby"). George needs only a few words on each spread to convey the boy's unadulterated happiness ("I'll give you a hug, Book!"). Smith's pared-down, full-bleed acrylics with warm, subtly variegated backgrounds play up the hero's tiny but expressive eyes as well as the ongoing presence of the cat and a checkered stuffed elephant. Smith makes it clear that, while Book represents an exciting new chapter in the boy's life, his gift also fits neatly into his cozy world. Ages 2-4. (Oct.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

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PreS-In this celebratory title, a child receives his first book. From the magical moment he unwraps the gift until he nods off in bed, the cheerful toddler explores all the joys and the practical applications that his new treasure has to offer. Smith's deeply colored, playful acrylics depict the youngster through the day as he puts the book onto the shelf upside down, reads it to his cat, and uses it as a ticket to mom's lap for cozy storytime. Rounded, stiff paper pages ensure that this title will withstand repeated readings. The fact that it offers a pleasurable introduction to books is an added benefit.-Bina Williams, Bridgeport Public Library, CT Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.