Preschool

PRESCHOOL

Andreasen, Dan A Special Day for Mommy

40 pp. McElderry ISBN 0-689-84977-X $15.95

(4) For Mommy on her special day, a pig child enthusiastically fixes breakfast, makes a card, assembles sandwiches, and decorates flowers with a neat toilet-paper bow (a rather unlikely accomplishment). The humorous if heavy oil paintings show her good-natured mother following behind, cleaning up the inevitable messes. Cute, but rather parent-pointed. MFS

* Appelt, Kathi Bubba and Beau Meet the Relatives

32 pp. Harcourt ISBN 0-15-216630-0 $16.00

(2) Illustrated by Arthur Howard. Five short chapters relate the goings-on in Bubbaville when the kinfolk decide to come for a visit. For toddlers just learning how story works, this third entry in the series offers a progressive plot that begins with predictable events but climaxes with a great surprise. The energetic watercolor illustrations create a down-home setting that complements the colloquial voice. Review 7/04. BC

Ashman, Linda Just Another Morning

32 pp. HarperCollins ISBN 0-06-029053-6 $15.99

LE ISBN 0-06-029054-4 $16.89

(3) Illustrated by Claudio Munoz. "The day begins as many do: / I find myself inside a zoo." A little boy imagines his home as a wild place, complete with giants (his parents), a monster (the vacuum cleaner), a snake (the garden hose), and other wondrous features. Singsong rhyming text narrates this appealing demonstration of creative play, which is captured with spirited images reminiscent of Marc Simont's work. CMH

Bajaj, Varsha How Many Kisses Do Yow Want Tonight?

32 pp. Little ISBN 0-316-82381-3 $15.95

(5) Illustrated by Ivan Bates. In a bedtime ritual, a baby bear asks for one kiss, a duckling asks for two kisses, and a little boy asks for a million kisses. The rhyming text ends by asking listeners to decide how many kisses they want so adults and toddlers can join in the love fest. The oversize illustrations are more cute than expressive, and the package is similar to, but less successful than, Mem Fox's Time for Bed. MVK

* Baker, Barbara Anna Shares

24 pp. Dutton ISBN 0-525-47111-1 $9.99

* Baker, Barbara Anna's Book

24 pp. Dutton ISBN 0-525-47231-2 $9.99

(2) Illustrated by Catharine O'Neill. These small, square books introduce toddler Anna in two pleasingly unpredictable stories. While conveying the various moods of toddlerhood, the loosely drawn, illustrations...