BABY'S BOOK OF THE BODY

In a trademark format—crisp photographic images set against a milky white backdrop—Priddy's exploration of the baby's body, with its dozens of separate full-color photos to be pored over and mused upon, is easy for children to linger over. There are pages on body parts (genitalia given a wide berth), their names and functions; facial variety and expression; things the body can do, from hiding to thumb-sucking to clapping. There is a counting page devoted to body parts, and a mix-and-match spread where eyes are coupled with sunglasses and the match for a baby's bottom is a potty. The principal text is comprised of labels, with a few short descriptive captions (``high mountains covered with snow'' and ``a street at night with twinkling lights'' among them), allowing readers or preliterate observers to plumb the images on their own. (Picture book. 1-4)