What Do You Want?

Simplicity and elegance combine in Swedish author-artist Klinting's illustrations of human, animal and object pairs. Each right-hand page depicts a meticulously painted person, creature or object against a cream-colored background; the next page shows that image joined with its mate. For example, the story opens with an image of a rooster, painted in rich oranges and greens, searching expectantly; on the next page, rooster and hen (painted in soft browns) gaze fondly at each other. The text begins, "The rooster wants..." and a turn of the page completes the phrase, "his hen." Other pairings include bumblebee and flower, a chair and table, a "little old man" and his hat. Some youngsters may be confused by a repeat visit or two (e.g., "The hen wants.../ her chick"—what does that mean for the rooster?). And a few pairings may not be quite logical ("little brother" and a band-aid, for instance). Still, this primer's images will be appealing to toddlers, and the final image of a sleeping child, "The pillow wants.../ its cheek," suggests a soothing conclusion both to the story and to a child's busy day. Ages 6 mos.-3 yrs. (Feb.)