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CLOTHES by Rilla Alexander

CLOTHES

From the TouchWords series

illustrated by Rilla Alexander

Pub Date: Oct. 8th, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4521-7561-4
Publisher: Chronicle Books

Clothing items a child may wear throughout the year presented in a distinctive touch-and-feel board book.

All of the usual suspects appear in this one, from hats to boots and everything in between. Each double-page spread identifies a category of clothing and presents a list of simple, descriptive words. More picture dictionary than story, the book places its focus on the illustrations and tactile elements. The “shirt” page, for example, includes a striped tee with a raised pocket. This design makes the book particularly friendly for the smallest of hands; it’s easy to get a sense of line and shape from running an open palm across it, no little parts or flaps to fuss with. The colors are all bold, each page with eye-catching and clear images. It’s lacking in tiny details but includes enough features such as belt and zipper to be defined and identifiable. The descriptive words, though often presented without context, include rich vocabulary such as “shivering,” “slogging,” and “fastening.” There are some inconsistencies, as with the “rain” page, which is the only featured word that isn’t an article of clothing—surprising, given the title and content. The similarly styled My Day includes the same touchable elements with broader categories like “make” and “draw” that allow for more fuel for the imagination.

This one is mostly about the look and feel, but little readers will enjoy touching.

(Board book. 0- 2)