JOEY AND JET

A game of fetch teaches young children how to describe locations. When Joey throws the ball for his faithful dog, Jet, the dog takes off on a journey. “Jet chases the ball among the birds . . . through the trees . . . on the water . . .”—until at last it pops out of a hole in the ground and he’s able to grab it. The words referring to locations are in bold type, adding emphasis: up, down, across, between. A double-paged spread follows Jet back through the maze of places he’s visited and finally back to Joey, who praises Jet—and then throws the ball again. Yang’s simple textured illustrations keep the focus on the dog and the ball, further emphasizing the location of the ball in relation to its surroundings. He also sidesteps a very common complaint of the very young: except for the birds and the fish, all the characters have two eyes showing, even when their heads are in profile, thereby avoiding the inevitable question: “Where’s his other eye?” An excellent introduction to what can usually be a difficult concept for youngsters. (Picture book. 2-5)