Blankie (Leslie Patricelli board books)
PreS. Patricelli explored opposites in her previous board books, includingBig LittleandQuiet Loud(both, 2003). In her latest, she explores typical toddler emotions and activities through a child's relationship with a favorite security item. Clutching a beloved blanket, a diapered tot announces, "Blankie comes everywhere with me." The uncluttered pictures show the toddler taking Blankie to preschool, the store, and the doctor; holding it while watching TV, during time-outs, during toothbrushing. Finally, the toddler drags Blankie to bed, where it comforts the round-eyed narrator: "Blankie isn't afraid of the dark. But I am." Patricelli's plain, effective words echo the neat, minimalist pictures. Pleasing figures rendered with strong black outlines and almost stick-figure simplicity are set against slightly textured, monochromatic backgrounds on sturdy, square pages. Children will easily recognize the deep bond between the child and the beloved object, and as in a companion volume,Binky, about a child with a pacifier, this offers a warm, comforting view of a toddler's daily world.Gillian EngbergCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved