At the Beginning of a Pig: Foldout Flap Book

Using a minimal amount of text with one sentence per double-page spread, this picture book relies mostly on cartoony illustrations and diecut, gatefold flaps to deliver its message. Toddlers learn a thing or two about animals and what's at the end of them, namely their tails. With the turn of each page the child encounters an animal (there's seven in all) loosely rendered against a pastoral background. Adopting a predictable pattern, the text starts by describing the face or appearance of the animal (``At the beginning of a dog there's a wet and shiny sniffer...''), while a brightly illustrated flap at the right edge of each spread conceals the animal's tail (``at the end... there's a shaggy-waggy tail''). Beneath the flap is also a younger version of the animal (for example, a puppy lolls next to the dog's tail). The final lesson comes at the conclusion, which introduces a toddler (``At the beginning of a child there's a face that's full of fun''); open the flap, and a picture of a crawling infant in diapers shows that ``at the end... there's no tail at all!'' Ages 6 mos.-3 yrs. (Sept.)