Somebody Bigger Than I

A firm sense of graphics jazzes up this child-friendly board book, which teaches colors as it instills a reverence for God. ""Who put the red on the breast of the robin? Who put the brown in the little puppy's eyes?"" asks the sporadically rhyming text. ""Somebody bigger than I,"" comes the rhythmic refrain. Despite an occasional veer into preciousness (""Who melts the gold for the morning sunrise?""), Blankenship's (Papa Ob Long) lines are generally easy on the ear, and the finale is amiable, not imposing: ""Now you might be wondering, seriously pondering on who this somebody is./ It's really no bother. It's my heavenly Father. These miracles are His."" Tagel (Little Duck) favors frontal compositions showing grinning bumblebees or dot-eyed, smiling children with otherwise featureless faces, but what could have been banal becomes appealing through her assertive use of pattern and vibrant colors. Both art and text admirably accommodate the needs of the target audience. Ages 2-5. (Oct.)