cover image Words Everyday Animals

Words Everyday Animals

Zoe Davenport. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), $5.95 (1pp) ISBN 978-0-395-71537-6

This quartet of Words for Everyday books is a pleasant but undistinguished offering in a crowded field. Each of the books' eight spreads depicts one familiar object (or animal) and identifies its individual components or appurtenances. Thus the parts of a teddy bear (Toys) are ear, arm, head, leg and foot; a Mealtime place setting consists of a plate, knife, spoon and fork. Vocabulary choices are for the most part useful and age-appropriate. Davenport's cut-paper artwork is marked by sharp color contrasts and a generally realistic presentation (Garden's kid-like tree being a notable exception), but the overall effect lacks flair. Ages 2-5. (Mar.)