THE FINGER SPORTS GAME

The Finger Worms participate in a variety of athletic competitions.

This humorously playful book encourages little readers to draw a smiley face on the tip of a finger (or to have their parents do it for them) and poke it through the die-cut holes and slots in the pages to form the face of a supplied body and interact with the text. The Finger Worms box, do high jumps and high dives, and even race. The book’s construction is fairly intuitive, and with little coaxing, little ones will be able to pick up the book and easily figure out what they need to do in order to make their Finger Worms the greatest. Adults with large hands may have a tough time; the finger holes and their placements work best for young readers. The illustrations are stripped down to the basics, with simple lines and primary colors. Artsy readers will surely be inspired to craft their own finger sports arenas on drawing paper. This is a read that will do OK in the story stack but thrive as an arts-and-crafts instigator. In companion title The Finger Travel Game, the Finger Worms travel by air to Paris before taking to the mountains for skiing, a submarine, a sailboat, Egypt (by camel), and even outer space. The generously sized holes in the pages are in the same place throughout the entire book, so even the largest hands can participate. In both titles, the Finger Worms are all Caucasian, limiting the book’s appeal.

A perfectly pleasant interactive read for pale-skinned toddlers.