GROWING LIKE ME

A young boy discovers all the growing things around him as he walks by the woods, through a meadow, and by a peaceful pond. Beautiful watercolor-and-ink paintings illustrate this "what will it become" story of how things change and develop into other things. Brightly colored and simple enough for very young children, this explains how caterpillars change into butterflies; eggs change into robins; and tiny black polliwogs change into frogs. The first illustration of each pair of growing things is depicted as a small drawing followed by a full-page rendering of the thing that it is to become. One particularly nice feature is a double-page illustration of the giant oak tree, which grows from a tiny acorn. This journey of exploration finishes with the young boy's exclamation that his baby brother will "One day . . . be a big boy—just like me." Rockwell's latest foray into the natural world will be a treat for young children as they notice themselves and the things around them growing and changing. Sure to be a bedtime favorite as well as a successful introductory science lesson. (Picture book. 2-5)