YOU’RE A HELPER!
From the Beginning Baby series
by Chronicle Books
Children are invited to manipulate die-cut sliders to help seven childlike animals complete daily tasks in this entry in the Beginning Baby series.
Bright, cheerful illustrations introduce Paisley the octopus, Riley the narwhal, Mateo the red panda, and others. Each spread describes the task at hand with a simple declarative sentence, then addresses readers with a request and exclamation of praise. “Mia the monkey is putting away the toys. Can you help? Good job! You’re a helper!” Activating the slider sends Mia’s ball from her upraised paw toward the toy basket. Each robust slider contains an inset circle sized for small index fingers, but ease of manipulation depends on the paper engineering. Sliders that move horizontally or vertically are easy to move, but the three others, curved to visually describe arcs of movement, are a bit more challenging. The cartoon-eyed animals are pictured in a garden, in a classroom, and in homelike interiors. A final spread gathers the smiling friends together, inviting counting and spot-the-difference activities.
Sturdy and upbeat.
(Board book. 1-3)