ANIMAL WORLD

Colorful animals and spinning disks attract young readers to this board book.

Five disks decorated with a different animal symbol on each side spin on a rod embedded in a cutout on the right side of the cover; within, they appear on the left-hand side of each spread. Critters on the disks correspond to the colors introduced in the book but otherwise have no direct relation to the 10 animals introduced within. Each animal is one of the featured hues, with a penguin on a disk and a zebra in the book representing both white and black. Whimsically decorated backgrounds are in related tints. Four-line stanzas describe each animal, with its color named in large black type. Above the spinner is an invitation: “Spin to find!” Adults sharing the book must rotate it to read the question prompts printed up one side of each rectangular cutout. Young children may struggle to catch on to the game, choosing instead to use the die-cut openings as handles to turn the pages. Strong toddlers may detach the rod, making the rod and disks potential hazards and the “3 & up” publisher’s age designation particularly meaningful. Busy Day (published simultaneously) uses the same format, following a stylized lion and cub through a human child’s typical day. Its spinners depict similarly shaped objects to match to 10 featured shapes. More manipulative toy than book, this novelty might be good for solo sharing or silent play for younger preschoolers fidgeting during nap time.

More fidget toy than learning tool.