(4) PS Illustrated by Eiko Ojala. In this dual-purpose concept book, short perky rhymes link twelve shapes to typical month-specific activities: a heart in February, a baseball diamond in June, etc. Two children and a dog demonstrate each activity. Some associations are forced and the rhyme sometimes falters, but cheerful solid-color illustrations, embellished with eye-catching three-dimensional shading, ably support the concept.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) PS Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. Well-metered rhymes tell the ABCs of school. From books, crayons, and dump trucks to letters, numbers, and opposites, this alphabetical list of school elements smoothly covers even the trickiest of letters. Munsinger's pictures feature expressive bears making glitter art, practicing writing, and playing in the sandbox. Not the least bit didactic, this concept book will be returned to repeatedly.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden