cover image Babies, the Book of

Babies, the Book of

Dorling Kindersley Ltd, Jo Foord. Random House Books for Young Readers, $10.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-679-80955-5

This ``first picture book of all the things that babies do'' features a number of clear, expressive photographs in the now-familiar style of Dorling Kindersley (creators of the Eyewitness series), illustrating little ones eating, making faces, crawling, playing. Headed with an appropriate verb or phrase, each spread showcases a gaggle of colorfully dressed tots--of various races--engaged in the action. A rhyming, descriptive verse set in large type is interwoven with each set of photos. Although similar in scope to The Baby's Book of Babies (Dial), this book is larger and contains more pages and photos--thus a greater abundance of information. Also, Foord's shots are sequential and more demonstrative of the text. A fitting companion to Baby's World (Dutton), which highlights objects more than actions, this title may have trouble, however, distinguishing itself in the ever-crowding marketplace. Ages 6 mos.-3 yrs. (Apr.)