Zip It: A First Book of Fasteners

Five animals—from a frog whose lips actually zip to a pig with a literal button nose—help readers master the sometimes frustrating process of dealing with snaps, ties, and other fastening devices. Rhyming verses and step-by-step visual instructions provide encouragement, while the smiling animals create a subtly reassuring atmosphere. Hegarty saves the toughest task for last, inviting readers to tie the tails of two purple mice into a bow. “You might need an adult to help you here,” notes a third mouse, who’s quite right: even with an accompanying rhyme (“over/ under/ around/ and through/ pull loops tight/ then undo!”), the visual bow-tying directions aren’t as clear as those in the preceding pages. Ages 3–up. (Mar.)