A DAY WITH NELLIE

Busy Nellie wakes up in a tangle of blankets ready to start a full day. First on the agenda is deciding on the appropriate attire. Every type of clothing presents itself and Nellie selects an outfit. Breakfast is next and, for Nellie, it’s an introduction to textures as well as food: “crispy cereal o’s, squishy egg, crunchy toast fingers.” Pausing briefly in her busy schedule, she takes a moment to say hello to her friends. Directions such as out, in, on, and under are illustrated as Nellie goes about her morning playing. “Nellie gets tired . . . cranky . . . stubborn . . . mad!” It’s definitely time for a nap. Lunchtime follows and the quick bite is a good excuse to do some counting: “3 baby carrots, 4 cookies, and 24 ants.” The afternoon is filled with colors and the alphabet with one final nod to cause and effect with the introduction of mud and soap. A quick dinner and a story with Daddy finish off this busy toddler’s day and then it’s time for bed. Bright, crisp, multimedia collages are at once simple and effective at conveying the quick lessons on every page. Visually stimulating and interesting, readers will get a taste of many concepts and terms as they spend a day with Nellie. Fast, clever, and fun. (Picture book. 2-5)