Learn with Olivia
What better way for toddlers to learn the basics than with two board books starring Ian Falconer's Olivia? Youngsters start with "one ball" at the beach (in the signature red-and-white stripes) and finish with "ten Olivias" jumping rope, doing handstands and sprawling on a beach towel in Olivia Counts. A red numeral accompanies each scene. In Olivia's Opposites she demonstrates word pairs with comic flair (for instance, she models a scarlet evening gown for "long" and a red tutu for "short"). Both feature b&w and red illustrations from Falconer's Caldecott Honor book, Olivia, and its companion, Olivia Saves the Circus. (Atheneum/Schwartz $6.99 each 12p ages 2-5 ISBN 0-689-85087-5; -85088-3; June)
What a Concept
Four boldly colored, shaped board books packaged in a clear carrying case teach the concepts of Square Triangle Round Skinny by Vladimir Radunsky. A photo-collage of a slice of "pizza" (labeled) on a green-checked tablecloth appears in the triangle-shaped book; a dachshund takes up an entire long rectangular spread in the skinny book, and a clock appears (where else?) in the round book. (Candlewick, $14.99 10p each ages 6 mos.-3 yrs. ISBN 0-7636-1532-3; Apr.)
Tucked inside an oversize gatefold cover, Desmond Discovers Colors and Shapes by Emma Fischel features an industrious pup in a variety of situations. "The Building Site," for example, labels an "orange brick," "square windows" and a "triangle roof." Part of the Let's Start Learning series, the kit comes with a game, stencils, color chart and colored pens, among other items. (Silver Dolphin, $16.95 32p ages 4-up ISBN 1-57145-699-6; Mar.)
Scholastic's First Discovery Look Inside Board Books series engages youngsters with lift-up flaps and die-cut pages. A cube-shaped flap of a present in Shapes, for instance, lifts to reveal an assortment of similarly shaped objects (dice, jack-in-the-box, etc.). The wheels of a "tractor," "boat" and "car" are accentuated by die-cut circles in Things That Go. Also available: Rain or Shine: All About Weather; Numbers; Colors; and Opposites. (Scholastic/Cartwheel, $4.95 10p ages 6 mos.-4 yrs. ISBN 0-439-29729-X; -35593-1; -29730-3; -29728-1; -29727-3; -35592-3; Apr.)
First Shape Book by Ann Montague-Smith, illus. by Mandy Stanley, engages children's minds with a colorful collection of bold images, easy-to-read labels and probing questions. A spread called "Meet the Shapes," for example, asks, "Can you see any of these shapes at home?", while the following spreads (one theme per spread for "circle," "square," etc.) offer concrete everyday examples of each shape. A laminated, pullout poster is included. (Kingfisher, $12.95 48p ages 2-up ISBN 0-7534-5433-5; Apr.)
"Dear Abby, This is for you from me. It's an A, the first letter of the ABC. Pass it on!" Twenty-six links in the chain letter later, Zuzu, the originator, gets what she hoped for in A Book of Letters by Ken Wilson-Max, illus. by Manya Stojic. Lift-the-flap envelopes appear amid Stojic's colorfully textured illustrations. A pull-out alphabet poster (featuring the first letters of all the pen pals' names) appears in an envelope on the last page. (Scholastic/Cartwheel, $14.95 32p ages 3-6 ISBN 0-439-32455-6; Apr.)
Scrapbook History
Two titles in the American Girls Collection provide a unique perspective on history with a handsome square scrapbook presentation, including vintage-style postcards and pullout souvenirs. The first, Molly's Route 66 Adventure by Dottie Raymer, illus. by Nick Backes, takes readers for an eight-state ride, from Illinois to California, along the "Main Street of America." In Samantha's Ocean Liner Adventure also by Raymer, illus. by Dan Andreasen, readers can imagine a turn-of-the-20th-century cruise aboard the S.S. Londonia. Welcome to Kit's World—1934: Growing Up During America's Great Depression by Harriet Brown, illus. by Walter Rane, Jean-Paul Tibbles, Susan Moore, Susan McAiley and Philip Hood, in an oversize volume, provides a well-researched and engaging account of the era. (American Girl/becker&mayer!, $15.95 each 32p ages 7-up ISBN 1-58485-501-0; -500-2; American Girl, $16.95 60p ages 8-up -359-X; Mar.)
Aspiring geneologists can attempt to preserve their own history with the help of My Family and Me: A Memory Scrapbook for Kids by Jane Drake and Ann Love, illus. by Scot Ritchie. The companion volume to My New Home and Me has fill-in-the-blank pages, places for pictures and a back pocket to hold mementos. (Kids Can, $5.95 paper 32p ages 7-up ISBN 1-55337-002-3; Mar.)
