Eat Together

As an ant feast is constructed, deconstructed, and reconstructed in this foodie exploration of quantity and design, Ordóñez’s flatly colored, digitally assembled illustrations demonstrate the way shapes come together to make images. Establishing the concept, the first recto presents three atypical shapes; a page turn later, these components are combined into a strawberry. Accompanying interrogative text encourages interactivity as an increasing number of pieces, building up to eight, create more elaborate edibles (“What do 4 shapes make?// A cupcake!”). On each completing spread’s recto page, hungry ants escort the comestibles off-page, eventually joining up in a march toward their anthill, where a small entrance necessitates taking everything back apart. The counting involves some confusing quirks—three cupcake sprinkles are counted as one item, and some of the pizza toppings multiply when appearing on a slice—but the final smorgasbord nevertheless amuses with a vision of remixed dishes. Ages 1–3. (Nov.)