I CAN DO IT MYSELF!

Emily Pearl is just big enough to terrorize the household with her can-do attitude: “And if just for one second her mom tries to help, / Emily says, ‘I can do it myself!’ ” As in this simple refrain, approximate and exact rhymes roll rhythmically along while Hayashi’s watercolor, pen and colored-pencil art tells the real story. The text treats Emily as if she were the big girl she thinks she is, while the illustrations reveal a loving environment where a wise (and sometimes exasperated) mother allows her confident daughter to learn. Emily begins pouring herself juice through a funnel into a glass, uses a toilet-paper roll and clothespins to curl her hair, plays trombone upside down, delivers cat food on the back of her fast-moving remote-control car, until bedtime, when the shadows fall and she welcomes Mom’s hug and a good story. The interplay between art and text will work well for the group reader who can enjoy the spontaneous giggles that will erupt at storytime or for one-on-one in-the-lap fun. (Picture book. 2-5)