HENRY GOES SKATING

Almost everything goes in this latest installment of the Everything Goes early-reader series based on the picture-book series of the same name by Brian Biggs.

It’s snowing, so when a bus gets stuck on an icy road, it is going to have to wait for the tow truck to come. Otherwise, everything does tootle along in this typically mild and kindly outing, an earliest of early readers for those just starting to get their teeth into reading. There is plenty of necessary repetition in the simple text: “ ‘Look, Henry. Horses!’ says Henry’s mom. ‘Police horses,’ says Henry. ‘One is brown and one is white. And one is brown and white.’ ” It combines with enough unusual words (taxis, Zamboni) and constructions (such as the alternating use of  “Henry says” and “says Henry”) to make readers work for the prize of the last page. But as is also typical of these books, the illustrations are in the driver’s seat, literally and figuratively. The book is chockablock with vehicles, as Henry and his parents take a little road trip to the city from the suburbs to go to a skating rink (“Zamboni!”). The illustrations have an ease that keeps eyes flickering between word and image.

Amiable and encouraging, and too innocent to give even a thought to snow stopping something in its tracks: school.