TABLE, CHAIR, BEAR

A book with 22 pictures of simple objects from a child's room, with the word for each object printed in 13 different languages- -English at the top of each page, and the words in other languages in a running list in the margins. The languages are as diverse as the population of the U. S.: Korean, French, Arabic, Vietnamese, Japanese, Portuguese, Lao, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin), Tagalog, Cambodian, and Navajo. Each word is printed in its own alphabet, with a phonetic transcription underneath. The last two pictures tie everything together; these are labeled ``my room'' and ``Please come in.'' There is so much to learn and memorize here: the names of unfamiliar languages, what their alphabets look like (the clean layout makes it easy to recognize them), new words for familiar objects, and how to write and read words phonetically. The pictures, done in a naive style, give this the familiar, pretty look of a piece of American folk art. An excellent and eclectic assortment of information, attractively presented, this is a book worth adding to the collection of objects in every child's room. (Picture book/nonfiction. 2-7)