ANIMAL HOMES

Sweet pastel colors and cheery images across five double-page spreads introduce various animal habitats to young children.

A “sheep and her lamb live on the farm”; a “whale and her calf live in the ocean.” The other animal mother-and-child pairs are a penguin and chick, dog and puppy, and kangaroo and joey. Unfortunately, the Antarctic birds are pictured next to an igloo, but otherwise both the specialized name for animal young and habitat are introduced neatly. Companion title Noisy World introduces noises. Three of the sounds are from animals (lions, a crocodile and birds), while two are from machines (a car and a train). Here, the creators might have been more successful working this concept into two books—one about animal sounds and the other surveying transportation sounds. In either case, flaws will not matter to very young children, who will be attracted to the sunny pictures and jolly characters. There is nothing threatening about the roaring lions or snapping crocodile. Smart adults will use these books to ask questions: What color is the monkey? How many birds are cheeping? As with other titles in the Tiny Touch series, the back blurb touts the “bumpy textured pages that make it a tactile and interactive experience,” but the texture is so subtle, it is almost nonexistent.

A useful, sturdy conversation starter between caregivers and children.