Stanley the Builder

Emphatic text and uncluttered pictures target this series launch to machine-loving early readers. Bee (Digger Dog) introduces Stanley, a good-natured and hard-working hamster, who builds a house for his mouse friend, Myrtle. References to the colors of the machinery Stanley uses and to the process of house-building effectively provide ancillary introductions to colors, construction basics, and various vehicles. After Stanley clears the site with his orange bulldozer and digs the foundation with a yellow digger, his friend Charlie pitches in to help pour cement, lay bricks, raise roof beams, nail shingles, and paint the house red, white, and blue ("Myrtle's favorite colors"). Set against a white backdrop, Bee's flat, clean digital cartoons, framed by thick black outlines, make a bold, graphic impact, and the square trim size and padded cover give the package a satisfyingly chunky feel. Underlying the story are subtle nods to diligence, cooperation, and friendship ("Building houses is hot work! Myrtle has brought Stanley and Charlie some orange juice. Thank you, Myrtle!"). Stanley displays his mechanical skills in Stanley's Garage, out simultaneously. Ages 3%E2%80%937. (Sept.)