LOOK AT THAT!

A simple, vocabulary-building book for babies positions colorful, smiling animals on plain backgrounds, one per page. The volume’s European origins are evident in some of the animal choices (hedgehog, peacock), but by and large this translates well. From the small (snail, caterpillar) to the large (horse, cow), each animal is outlined with bold, hand-drawn lines that marry verisimilitude with anthropomorphism to produce recognizably iconic images. A companion book, Look at That! Wild Animals (ISBN: 978-1-60537-011-8), uses exactly the same format to present such critters as crab, dolphin, rhinoceros, camel and polar bear, among others. Oddly, each effort presents an unnamed animal (dog and penguin, respectively) on the cover without reproducing it inside. Chances are good adult readers will be able to identify them. (6-18 mos.)