LOOK, LOOK!

An unusual binding and stylish graphics distinguish this book for infants.

Animals in glossy white silhouette appear against monotone, pastel backgrounds as rhyming text describes how each one sees the other. “Little duck sees a bear / on the bank over there. // Little bear spots a bee. / Look, look, bunny, do you see?” Occasional details help readers identify the setting; next to the duck, a tiny fish jumps with two glossy drops of water trailing, indicating a watery habitat; the bunny and a deer together examine purple bluebell blossoms that depend from slender white stems. The animals themselves are posed in motion and are varied in their placement in relation to the text, lending the visuals a gentle fluidity. Although pastel backgrounds are not usually considered effective contrast, they work here quite well to make the animal forms stand out. The pages are unusually thick, made from colored stock folded around individual pieces of corrugated cardboard. They have a pleasant, puffy feel when squeezed, and they’re glued to a tough fabric binding, allowing readers to open the book flat. Cheep, Cheep!: Baby Animal Sounds publishes simultaneously with a similar format.

With its companion, this British import offers an unusually pleasing tactile experience and subtle, lovely graphics.