One Two That’s My Shoe!

This companion to Murray’s Apple Pie ABC stars the same lively dog and the same primly dressed owner, updating the traditional counting rhyme “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe” for a world in which shoes no longer buckle. After scampering through the house with his owner’s shoe, the pup escapes: “Three... four/ Out the door!” The girl catches up with him, he teases her with the shoe, then runs off again: “Five... six/ Doggie tricks!” Murray has donned the mantle of late ’50s and early ’60s illustrators whose stripped-down, geometric shapes and cheerful colors are instantly recognizable. Working in a palette of milky reds, blues, and greens, she lays out big, simple forms to look at and count (six red tulips, seven trees, eight sheets on a clothesline). Matte pages, meticulous typography, and the screenprintlike quality of Murray’s artwork lend a handmade feel. A chase through the laundry, the chicken yard, and beyond ends with the reunion of girl and shoe. Murray’s skillful use of vintage motifs is a surefire draw for parents in search of books with a hip, throwback sensibility. Ages 2–6. (June)