Five for a Little One (Richard Jackson Books (Atheneum Hardcover))
PreSchool-Grade 1–A buoyant bunny, drawn in thick ink outline with a fuzzy body and delightfully mismatched ears (one downy and one plain), introduces readers to the senses, numbering them one through five. The rhyming verses and ebullient artwork convey a child's curiosity and enthusiasm for investigating the world in various ways: e.g., hearing is described, Happy ears, pay attention!/Did we mention sounds surround you?/Catch the honking, barking, singing./All that ringing will astound you. After exploring all five means of perception, the youngster encounters mother and father rabbit (one drawn with thick ink outlines and the other with velvety splotches). As the family members interact, the bunny again demonstrates each of the senses–smelling a flower held by one of the adults or listening to the other play the violin. There is no text on these pages, encouraging children to identify each example by looking at the illustration, thus reinforcing the concepts. The book ends on an affectionate note, as the threesome holds hands: Five senses–just enough–to know the love we have for you. Featuring supple ink lines, tantalizingly textured potato prints, and splashes of cheerful watercolor, the artwork is irresistible. The clean page design and graceful flow of images keep the action moving quickly. A fresh, fun, and fanciful approach to an often-requested topic.–Joy Fleishhacker,School Library JournalCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.