School Library Journal Review

PreS-Leaping across the cheery lemon-yellow book cover, a boy points right and beckons readers to open it to the front flap that declares, "From your nose to your toes, you are special." In bouncing rhymes and lyrical couplets, a group of preschoolers celebrate the skills and abilities of each body part, and then lovingly offers gratitude for two hands to pray, one heart to listen, and one mouth to say "Thank You!" Bauer's lilting text matches the jubilant energy in Stephenson's watercolor rainbow palette. Energetic slanting lines deftly express movement and action, as in one spread with a boy sprinting from left to right into a rain puddle. Highlighting the cozy security that a loving father offers his daughter during a "boom-a-room, room-a-boom" thunderstorm in another spread, Stephenson uses rounded comforting shapes, including a teddy bear that appears to be listening in to Daddy's consoling words. Vibrant colors balanced on mainly white and roomy backgrounds enhance clarity. For instance, tangy oranges are often paired with sky blues, and lime greens with tomato reds to balance the colors in harmony. Pair this bubbly book that celebrates children's creativity with Eric Carle's From Head to Toe (HarperCollins, 1997) for an exuberant body-themed storytime.-James K. Irwin, Evanston Public Library, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.