Big Bug

Readers get a hint of the ingenuity in Cole's (Unspoken) nifty study of comparative sizes from its arresting cover, which features a ladybug at very close range, Inside, realistic full-bleed paintings provide a playful look at scale and perspective, using a ladybug as an initial point of reference. The tiny insect ("Little bug") rests on a leaf ("Big leaf"), which becomes a "Little leaf" when seen alongside a "Big flower" on the next spread. Cole continues to pan out until eventually the bucolic farm where the action takes places appears small against the "Big... BIG sky." He then reverses direction, zooming in to view some of the same items in different locations. A final endearing scenario brings readers indoors, where a dog, seen on the prior page through a window with its master, naps contentedly, unaware that a certain little ladybug rests on the tip of its nose. It's an accessible entry point to the concept of relative sizes, with a rural setting whose endless expanses of sky and grass are just as inviting as the flora and fauna seen up close. Ages 4%E2%80%937. (Apr.)