A family favorite. ( )

One of van Fleet's earlier offerings, the bulk of the book is much simpler than such intricate offerings as Alphabet or Tails. Each two page spread has three words: two adjectives and a shape. For instance, fuzzy yellow circle. Pull back the flap on the right side, and discover that the shape is actually a part of an animal's body. The circle is really the belly of a duckling! The word printed under the flap is the animal's name, so now the book reads fuzzy yellow ducklings, instead. Simple, but ingenious. With that repetitive layout, children learn about colors, shapes, and adjectives. The surprise of transforming from a shape to an animal is both thrilling and comforting in its reiteration. Also, the illustrations are endearing. The animals are frisking playfully. Then, at the end of the book, the author employs a long pull-out flap with multiple panels. On one of the white panels, a series of rhyming couplets encourages young readers to engage in more investigations. Count the number of bumpy animals, call out the names of shapes and animals, and turn the extended page over to see what the animals are up to - building a tower of themselves. The two final extended pictures depict all of the animals interacting with each other, and do take some time to examine the cute details in these scenes. I especially like the baby shark biting the nose of an irritated sheep. This is another fun book, simple in its text and execution, but packed with potential for learning and entertainment. ( )

It's pretty simple, but our babies like it. It's fun to touch and has lots of different textures (including sticky tongue). It did rip pretty easily though. ( )