THE JELLYBEANS LOVE TO READ

A gang of four friends, each a different animal, finds books to enjoy at their local library.

Anna loves to read, Emily loves to dance, Nicole enjoys soccer, and Bitsy is an avid painter. While the nonreading friends are dubious, Anna requests they accompany her to the library. With the help of a friendly librarian who looks remarkably like Mother Goose, each member of the foursome finds a book on her favorite activity. Munsinger’s lively critters embody the simple text in detailed, pastel watercolor scenes. This title is a condensed and simplified version of a longer picture book (The Jellybeans and the Big Book Bonanza, 2010), and little seems lost in the translation to board book. Why the transition was made is rather puzzling, as the content is more appropriate for those who have grown out of board books. The board-book audience of babies and toddlers is unlikely to be thinking about going to the library without a grown-up, and the preschoolers the story seems to be pitched to deserve the full-size illustrations of the original.

Stick with the original picture book for a simple treatise on the power of literature.