Now Soon Later

This gentle book is a wonderful tool to teach young children not only the concept of how time passes, but also the rewards of delayed gratification. Each of 10 spreads shows a girl and her parents in three related vignettes set ""now,"" ""soon"" and ""later."" Time here is indeed relative; one series of vignettes may span an entire day (morning, afternoon, night), while another demonstrates how the idea of now, soon and later plays out over just a few hours. One spread, for example, starts with the girl at the foot of a playground slide and reads, ""Now you will have to wait."" The middle illustration shows her at the top of the slide: ""Soon you will be next in line."" In the final illustration, she is sliding down as the text explains, ""Later it will be your turn, and the others will wait for you."" Johnson's characters never lose their serene, almost Buddha-like demeanor; everyone here behaves prettily as a picture. Even without dramatic conflicts, the illustrations skillfully drive the book, offering an inviting mix of sunniness and tableau-like formality--Johnson's appetizingly sweet style and delicate palette call to mind none other than a modern Kate Greenaway. Ages 2-up. (Aug.)