Bing Bunny, a charming coal-black rabbit with fuzzy ears and big green eyes, suits up in these hand-size, paper-over-board books for beginners. In the first title, he gets helpful coaching from his stuffed rabbit toy, the appealingly named Flop, who has been sewn from woven orange cloth. In their pointed but amicable conversation, Flop takes the parent's role, despite his smaller size: "Can you put your shirt
on all by yourself
?" Bing pushes his arms through the sleeves of a green T-shirt: "Yup!
/Good for you Bing Bunny." This affirmative call-and-response repeats as Bing pulls on white underpants, red socks and shoes, forgetting that his pants legs won't fit over his black tennies. Once Bing solves this dilemma, another one emerges—a wet stain on his dungarees and a yellow puddle on the floor. "Don't worry Bing./ It's no big thing," says Flop. In the final spread, a jubilant Bing tosses off his outfit: "We'll just get dressed/ all over again!" Paint Day
repeats this step-by-step structure as Bing proceeds through a rainbow of colors, painting an increasingly turbulent landscape. Flop cautions (in small, hushed letters), "Don't spill the water, Bing." After the inevitable splash, Flop again shrugs off the accident in his reassuring refrain ("It's no big thing"). Dewan (Crispin
) illustrates the pair of picture books in warm hues, textured collages and full, rounded shapes. For all their simplicity, these easygoing books closely observe children's everyday activities and let readers know that ordinary mishaps are bound to occur. Ages 1-5. (Feb.)
