Up Close

First published in France, Wegerif’s large-format board book provides an entertaining animal guessing game and a fine introduction to abstract art, too. “Up close, I see your green eyes. You are a...” reads the opening spread, while opposite two green circles sit above an orange semicircle again a pure white backdrop. The answer is jubilantly revealed on the next page (“Bunny!”), and the full creature appears (it’s no more than a white rectangle with two smaller rectangles for ears). Similarly geometric interpretations of five more animals follow, and Wegerif does a remarkable job of capturing each creature’s essence in a few simple shapes and bright nursery colors. Ages 1–4. (Apr.)