TRACE, LIFT, AND LEARN

Little readers get their fingers all over the ABCs.

This oversized board book is all about the ABCs and 123s. The opening pages present the entire uppercase alphabet as die-cut shapes with dotted arrows directing readers to trace the letters with their fingers. The next several pages treat each letter individually, repeating the tracing steps for lowercase letters; each letter is accompanied by a photograph of an object that begins with that letter, and some include flaps for readers to lift. When the alphabet is done, the book's final pages use the same tracing exercises to introduce the numerals 1 through 10. Sliding panels are also on hand to aid readers with their burgeoning counting skills. The book does a good job of furthering little ones' language development and numeracy with hands-on activities that couple these important areas with hand-eye coordination and early writing skills. The flaps are reasonably sturdy, and the book's binding is quite strong. The primary color palette is a bit basic, but it is eye-catching.

A serviceable introduction to an important step in a child's education.