I Can Celebrate

Because the Jewish calendar year revolves around holidays, the first of these toddler books, I Can Celebrate , starts with Rosh Hashana and runs through the other special days: Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim, Passover. In bright solid colors, this clever and inviting book shows the child making a personal connection with traditional symbols: ``A SHOFAR makes a long sweet note. And so can I.'' I Have Four Questions depicts a girl fulfilling part of the Passover rites. In this book, little simplification is needed, since the questions and answers are already in fairly easy language. Happy, humorous illustrations amplify the concepts. And then on to the weekly Sabbath, presented wordlessly in Shabbat Shalom . The family preparation for and celebration of the Sabbath includes shopping, candle-lighting and enjoying the meal together. The last volume of these four doesn't fit into the theme, but offers gentle contrasts of a land: ``Israel is . . . old cities / new cities; salty seas /quiet lakes . . . high mountains /sandy deserts; many people.'' All four are finely conceived examples of the board book genre--colorful, simple, encouraging. Ages 2-4. (Apr.)