Up the Steps, Down the Slide

Cats, dogs, moles and more gambol across the spreads of these board books, devoted to teaching the concepts of numbers, colors, sizes and opposites, respectively. The animals' rakish grins or, variously, their airs of mirthful discomposure sharpen the books' humor. A fashion-minded pig sports a pert peruke (``BIG pig, LITTLE wig'') while its tiny counterpart is overwhelmed by Lady Godiva-like locks (``BIG wig, LITTLE pig''). Syntax and rhyme schemes, however, are neither particularly original nor steady (``Eyes wide OPEN, busy reading / Eyes tight SHUT, soundly sleeping''), while the slightly askew hand-lettering of the text (a la Lucy Cousins et al.) contributes to an overall sense of deja vu. Ages 1-3. (Oct.)