HI!

A clever, deceptively simple board book introduces animal sounds.

Long's board-book debut proves again that he understands children and what appeals to them. With just one animal per page, each with a one-word salutation, this is a board book that will speak to very young children. The greeting for each animal rhymes with that of the critter on the facing page (the owl's “Hoo” rhymes with the cow's “Moo,” for instance). Sometimes the rhymes are a bit of a stretch—cat's “Meow” and dog's “Bowwow”—but since the cat and dog are often associated, it works. It also is perfect preschool logic that the duck's “Quack” would rhyme with the yak’s “Yak”—and who really knows what other word a yak would use when saying hello? The illustrations are simple, stylized versions of each animal. Each picture gives a bit more information about habitat or diet, without cluttering the pages with extra words. Long brings it full circle, as a dove's “Coo” rhymes with the owl's “Hoo.” An additional spread shows all the animals without the words, so children can show off the sounds they remember. The final page shows a child saying, “Hi,” to his mom, who picks him up before she says, “Good-bye,” to the reader.

A completely satisfying, age-appropriate package.