Squares

Baby/Toddler-These impeccably designed concept books are deceptively simple and pack lots of opportunity for an engaging reading experience. Yonezu artfully uses die cuts to introduce questions that will inspire burgeoning imaginations. In Squares, he asks, "What can three small squares be?" At the flip of the page, readers are met with a bus or a train. In Moving Blocks, each page turn introduces vehicles that kids will recognize. The bright primary and secondary colors against white backgrounds are just right for toddlers. © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Die-cut squares and rectangles form a variety of images as pages are turned, introducing little ones to the versatility of these basic shapes. Three small squares become the windows of, in turn, a bus and a train. One square can be a book or a tea kettle (called here a "pot"). A rectangle turns into a door or a toy block. Two rectangles become candles or pencils. One small square is an ice cube or a segment of a chocolate bar, while four little squares can form a window or a gift-wrapped present. The final page asks readers to guess what a horizontal rectangle might be. Flipping to the back cover reveals it to be the opening of a mail box. (Though it is a red box on a post rather than the iconic U.S. Postal Service blue box, its use should be clear, with a bit of explanation.) Simple illustrations with bold lines and vivid colors combine with the die-cut squares and rectangles to encourage children to guess what these shapes might become and to recognize how they are part of larger images. Structured in a similar manner, Circles invites readers to explore the many different pictures that circles can contribute to, including an apple, an egg, a car with wheels, and more. An engaging, visually appealing introduction to basic shapes, developmentally appropriate for infants and toddlers. (Board book. 1-3) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.