ONES AND TWOS

With their first collaborative effort, this mother-daughter team proves that they are a duo to watch. Marthe Jocelyn’s text is perfect in its simplicity, the short phrases and vocabulary just right for toddler audiences, while the rhythm and rhyme are spot-on. The text loosely follows two young girls and a mother bird through a day, the three often crossing paths. Beginning with, “One bird, two eggs, / One girl, two legs,” the tale eventually ends in the dark with, “One nest, / two heads. / Two girls, / one bed.” In between, Jocelyn adds a further layer of meaning to the simple concept of counting ones and twos in what she chooses to pair: “One swoops, two walk, / One sings, two talk.” Nell Jocelyn’s picture-book debut is a visual feast of colors, patterns and textures. Found papers and objects, cut paper, folded elements, newspaper and string are all collaged into a wonderfully cohesive whole. The artwork allows children to see the big picture as well as the details. And are there ever details! A lower border of tiny images provides more matching opportunities, while the larger picture is chock-full of things to keep readers coming back for yet another look. A worthy contribution to any toddler bookshelf…and hopefully just the beginning of a long partnership. (Picture book. 2-5)