TAKE A LOOK, BUZZ

Youngsters are encouraged to explore a garden through brightly painted cartoons and sliding panels.

Every other page is split down the middle; something unexpected is revealed on an inner panel when the two halves of the page are pulled apart. A “little bird” pops out of an apple tree, a worm slithers out of the grass, a chick hatches out of an egg, a bee buzzes at the heart of a flower and so on through this clever special effect. The text, on the opposite page on either the left or right side, is an invitation to little ones to “Take a look!” with straightforward descriptions, questions and answers. The final double-page spread reviews all the critters and things that have come before. The companion book, Take a Look, Bear (978-1-60537-167-2), uses the same gimmick, but here, the star is a toddler playing hide-and-seek with a stuffed teddy bear. The use of the interactive feature works better in Take a Look, Buzz, since the animals pop out of or from behind various plants and the sun emerges from a cloud, whereas in Take a Look, Bear, the tyke seemingly bursts out of nowhere. While the panels are relatively easy to slide, toddlers will likely need some assistance opening and closing them to make sure pages stay on track and no fingers are pinched.

With some adult supervision, readers will encounter many engaging surprises.