POLICE

From catching burglars and working with search dogs to directing traffic and giving first aid, police do it all. Hubbell puts a lot of emphasis on the different ways police have of getting around: horses, motorcycles, bikes, patrol cars, boats and their own two feet. “Police ride bikes. / They ride in cars. / Their shiny badges / glow like stars.” Missing, however, is any explanation of when they might use each. While the couplets are bouncy and suit the audience, it is their rhyme scheme that seems to determine the content. More a list than a narrative, the book loses some punch (and maybe some readers) by abruptly jumping from one topic to the next. Garofoli’s digital illustrations mesh nicely with the text, simple details and solid backgrounds keeping the focus on the police and the important jobs they do for the community. The text, alas, is up to neither the illustrations’ standard nor Hubbell’s own. (Picture book. 2-5)