Animal Friends

These Match-the-Pieces Jigsaw Puzzle Books put an especially inventive spin on a perennially popular form of puzzle-solving. On each of these board books' four spreads, the right-hand page depicts a picture frame surrounding a removable insert bearing only a phrase (``Duck and ducklings swim along,'' ``A drink hits the spot when the day is hot''). Beneath the insert, colorful, clearly defined pictures illustrate the texts (e.g., a duck and her offspring are shown bobbing along). The left-hand pages contain press-out puzzle pieces (nine or 10) that also fit within the frame; when fitted together, these reproduce the scene. Wisely, the backs of the jigsaw pieces have been printed with the same color as the corresponding spread's background hue: re-inserting the pieces becomes an easy task, thus avoiding lost ingredients for the recipe. Coordination and matching skills taught in a smart format. Ages 2-4. (June)