Do Not Touch

Bold black type on stark white pages begin each set of word associations. ``Today's Surprise'' takes the last four letters, ``rise,'' and in a gatefold illustration, depicts a child awakening in the morning light. ``Ouch'' breaks away from ``Do Not Touch,'' with an illustration of a porcupine, poison and a hot flame, among other things. Some of the concepts are more clear than others. ``Quite Bright'' becomes ``Right,'' with a child surrounded by arithmetic equations. ``I Never Knew'' becomes ``New,'' and teams up objects: acorn equals oak, caterpillar equals butterfly. Perhaps that's a bit obscure for the picture book audience, but the pastels are easy on the eye and have a soft, diffused look. Carrier's wordplay, minus the illustrations, makes a point about word patterns that few basal readers could. Readers may initiate a few word associations of their own, and that is an activity well worth inspiring. Ages 5-up. (Dec.)