Playing with Numbers

For those who like to play school, two board book titles with actual chalkboards prompt plenty of pretend-classroom fun: My Little Chalkboard: Animal Friends and My Little Chalkboard: Playing with Numbers by Nancy Krulik, illus. by Barroux. Sections of each spread are designed to be written on with the chalk provided (along with eraser and cleaning cloth). The first title features creatures from pigs to ants, with a demonstration of how to write the animals' names, and a few brief facts about them, plus some creativity tips (""Draw your favorite place to sing""). The second title spans one to 10, with lines for writing both the numerals and their written spellings. .