My Father Knows the Names of Things

While cheerful, this book is also a memorial to Yolen's late husband. Freely drawn by Jorisch in pen and watercolor, an effortlessly confident father guides his mop-headed child through a series of adventures. On an amusement ride, he points out astrological marvels, and their travels often center on the natural world (“He knows which mosses are the fuzziest,/ He knows which insects are the buzziest”). Yolen's easeful rhymes and Jorisch's warm illustrations craft a bighearted tribute to fathers' seemingly infinite capacities for information—and their willingness to share it. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)