cover image The Smiley Book of Colors

The Smiley Book of Colors

Ruth Kaiser. Random/Golden, $8.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-375-86983-9

There are signs of joy all around us, declares this cheerful and clever book developed from the Web site SpontaneousSmiley.com. Photographs grouped by color capture smiley faces hidden in an orange metal beam (rivets form the eyes, rust the mouth), a cloud, and even a pair of balloons tied to a crowd barrier strung with caution tape. A trite motivational poem (“Look all around/ And notice the good!/ Focus on that./ We think you should”) accompanies the photographs, which are the real highlight. Despite the weakness of the verse, it’s undeniably fun to find quirky faces in unexpected everyday places, and as an added bonus, an extra 32 images appear as thumbnails in the closing spread. Ages 3–6. (Mar.)