CIRCUS

Caldecott Honor winner Ehlert (Color Zoo, 1989), who's noted for her bold, innovative graphics, presents the circus in stylized shapes so simple that they could have been cut with kindergarten scissors—flat areas of intense, clashing colors set off by solid black or deployed against hot-pink or electric-blue, as vibrant as the circus itself. In a novel piece of design, the pages are substantially narrower than the covers, allowing two rows of stars on the endpapers to provide a flame. Appropriately, the text is a ringmaster's patter, flamboyantly introducing the attractions—with a little time out midway for cotton candy and other treats. The resplendent colors will especially appeal to the youngest; fortunately, the pages are sturdy. Dazzling. (Picture book. 0-7)