cover image Bugs in the Garden

Bugs in the Garden

Leslie Bockol, Susan Hoe. innovative KIDS, $10.99 (8pp) ISBN 978-1-58476-171-6

Several Soft Shapes titles illustrated by Bob Filipowich encourage youngsters to learn about basic concepts and their surroundings with foam-core pages and puzzle-like pieces that pop out. ""Who landed on the red flower?"" asks the left-hand side of the opening spread in Bugs in the Garden. Both the flower and the black-spotted red bug in its middle pop out of the green page to reveal the answer (""A ladybug!""). For Where Is My Baby? various mothers go in search of their offspring: a ""striped mother zebra"" finds hers hidden in a field of stripes; it pops out to uncover the reply (""Here I am!""). My Lunch Box, with a handle, enumerates its contents in rhyme, from ""1 thermos"" (""When lunchtime comes,/ I want soup to slurp up./ What keeps it hot,/ with a lid that's a cup?"") to ""4 strawberries.""