cover image I Touch

I Touch

Rachel Isadora. Greenwillow Books, $16 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-688-04255-4

With their soft airs and pretty colors, the pictures in Isadora's new book are ideal means for bringing parents and tiny chidlren close as they investigate events in the story together. The prize-winning illustrator (Ben's Trumpet, Opening Night) stars a huggable toddler who tells about what she touches and doesn't touch (""not the cup; it's hot.'') and how they feel. The family cat and teddy bear are downy; dad's beard is scratchy; leaves crunch; the garden statue is hard; a lollipop is sticky, etc. A most engaging introduction to books also serves as a lesson in naming things. (939 months)