ANIMAL MAGNETS

Nappy-clad naturalists can learn more about their world by placing eight small magnetic creatures within any of five habitats.

Housed in an attached, reusable blister pack, the animals can be placed as appropriate (or, come to that, at random) in a brightly painted treetop or a meadow carpeted with flowers, in a pond, undersea, or in a nighttime yard. Each spot is already populated with characteristic flora and fauna, some of which are labeled, and in the picture or around the edges observations ranging from “Baby ducks are called ducklings” to “Animals that are active at night are called nocturnal animals” join directions for placing one of the magnetized animals. Each spread also features a photo of a similar setting that is too small to see in much detail but provides a wider-angle view to, presumably, create some sense of a larger context. The magnets are small enough to constitute choking hazards for very young children and are also likely to go astray before too long.

Science on a primary if not quite elemental level.