AROUND TOWN

Captioned pictures of places, people, and things to help little readers name their world.

Each oversized, double-page spread presents a different setting “Around Town,” including the hospital, the library, the park, and at home. Objects and people appear inside Brady Bunch–style squares three by three per page, each with a bold serif label across the bottom. The “School” spread includes many objects that might be recognizable to children in preschool settings, such as crayons, a playground, a teacher (she’s black: The people are a diverse cast), and an analog clock. Others feel a little too much like what older students would see, such as a calculator, homework, and a recorder instrument. The art, with a subtly retro, 1950s feel, is flat and stripped-down, and often it succeeds in rendering objects that are easily discerned. However, some images are so stylized that they prove confusing (the computer in the library and the receipt and the stacks of coins labeled “money” in the store are hard to identify without the caption). Other images are surprisingly dated; few playgrounds have merry-go-rounds and teeter-totters anymore. Companion title At Home uses the same formula to present spreads focused on the kitchen, living room, and bedroom. This title tries to speak to multiple demographics and includes items found in both a backyard and outside the apartment.

Flashcards in board-book form.