CALLING ALL TODDLERS

This tribute overflows with the gleeful, impassioned zest that is part and parcel of being a toddler. Comprised of 16 vignettes, readers can shimmy and shake with “Stomping Time,” learn about shapes and colors, twirl about, splash in a puddle, indulge in a temper tantrum (as is realistically re-enacted in the appropriately titled poem “NO!”) and much more, finally concluding with “ZZZZ,” which pays homage to bedtime restlessness. The crisp rhymes blend commonplace observances with a smattering of silliness: “Paddle in a pool,/surf in the sea./Dance through a sprinkler . . . /But no bath for me!” In short, Simon (The Topsy- Turvies, 1996, etc.) covers the minutiae of everyday life, the play that is frequently overlooked yet remains essential to learning. Soft pastel illustrations masterfully capture the facets of toddlerhood; children leap across the pages expressing every emotion of the text, stated or not. An exuberant celebration. (Picture book. 2-5)