HELLO TOES! HELLO FEET!
by Ann Whitford Paul & illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott
A jolly rhyming text follows a preschooler through her day, as she, in turn, follows her feet. With the exuberance of a charmingly extended jump-rope chant, Paul (The Seasons Sewn, 1996, etc.) and Westcott chronicle the happy child's day. After she tells her toes good morning (``Be the first to touch the floor, hop me to the closet door''), she chooses from a technicolor array of fantasy footwear: slingbacks, fruit-adorned sandals, cowboy boots, ice skates, flippers, and bunny slippers. Her little dog helps her, carrying a spare pair in his mouth. Simple and carefree activities are described from a foot's-eye view; her toes lead the way down the slide, her feet crunch a juice box at lunchtime. The text is compelling, the drawings a total confection. It's a sweet, completely realized concept, modest in ambition but in perfect accord with readers' interests and perspectives. (Picture book. 3-6)