First Things First: A Baby's Companion

Learning nursery rhymes, the ABCs, numbers and the identification of objects is importantand funfor toddlers. Voake successfully combines all of these elements into a single, accessible volume. In her characteristic styleloose ink lines washed with watercolorsVoake has carefully orchestrated a potpourri of rhymes, words and pictures. She structures the book along the same lines as a child's experiences: ``Sit, Crawl, Stand,'' come before ``The Alphabet,'' ``Days of the Week'' and so forth. With each section of one or two pages, the verses or concepts become a little more challenging. This book is perfectly geared to babies and toddlers, with whimsical illustrations and an excellent cross-section of rhymes and verses. Ages 2-5. (Oct . )