About the Author

Charlotte Voake is one of the most acclaimed contemporary children's book illustrators and has been shortlisted for the Kurt Maschler Award four times. She is the author-illustrator of Ginger, its prequel Ginger Finds a Home (9781406312706), Pizza Kittens (9780744598100), winner of the 2002 Smarties Book Prize Silver Award, and Hello Twins (9781406305234). She also illustrated the children's classic, Elsie Piddock Skips in Her Sleep (9781406314052) by Eleanor Farjeon. She lives in Woking, Surrey.

Reviews

PreS-K This collection of basic concepts for the very young includes letters, numbers, nursery rhymes, colors, weekdays, flora and faunaand bugsto point to and to name. It is organized to lead easily, and often subtly, from one to the next. The connections made are fresh and unconventional, much like those made by small children discovering the world. Sometimes the text carries the cues that mark transitions, and sometimes the pictures do. The cheerful line and wash drawings have the airy look of John Burningham's work, with plenty of child-scale action whose energy is antic, not frantic. A strong companion to the Ahlbergs' Baby's Catalogue (Little, 1983). Karen Litton, Confederation Centre Public Library, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Learning nursery rhymes, the ABCs, numbers and the identification of objects is importantand funfor toddlers. Voake successfully combines all of these elements into a single, accessible volume. In her characteristic styleloose ink lines washed with watercolorsVoake has carefully orchestrated a potpourri of rhymes, words and pictures. She structures the book along the same lines as a child's experiences: ``Sit, Crawl, Stand,'' come before ``The Alphabet,'' ``Days of the Week'' and so forth. With each section of one or two pages, the verses or concepts become a little more challenging. This book is perfectly geared to babies and toddlers, with whimsical illustrations and an excellent cross-section of rhymes and verses. Ages 2-5. (Oct . )