"Wet" (laminated) and "dry" (plain paper) spreads alternate in this paper-over-board book, in which a rainy day highlights the differences between two children. "I like books./ I like tea./ I like the purr, purr/ of Kitten and me," says a boy who opts to stay inside. The following spread, laminated to underscore the point, introduces a girl with other ideas: "I like umbrellas./ I like coats./ I like the plink, plink/ of musical notes." Spohn (the Turtle and Snake books) continues the contrasting pattern of wet versus dry throughout: the boy reads alongside stuffed toys while the girl plays with animals outdoors; he blows bubbles indoors while she watches a train whiz past. The juxtaposition falters, however, when the boy climbs into bed (with the semi-cryptic comment, "I like bed./ I like pie./ I like the hello, hello/ after good-bye"). The clocks in his bedroom read 10:10. Meanwhile, the girl is still outside, playing with her puppy ("I like worms./ I like bugs./ I like the glub, glub/ of wet-on-wet hugs"). Along with the slick pages, the onomatopoeic words—highlighted in fancy fonts—will likely appeal to very young readers, despite the lapse in logic. Ages 2-6. (Aug.)
