Gray Rabbit's 1,2,3

One inquisitive hop, and splash! goes White Rabbit into a bucket of yellowpaint. Soon the little rabbit is jumping from bucket to bucket and learning all about colors and how they mix. Quivering with excitement, Brown Rabbit nudges open a square gift box and finds five balloons which take on all sorts of shapes. Gray Rabbit and Black-and-White Rabbit have their own adventures as they discover numbers and the alphabet. Toddlers will have fun and learn with these concept books, warmly illustrated with meticulous detail by Alan Baker.

School Library Journal

PreS-KThe hares of Baker's Gray Rabbit's 1, 2, 3 and Brown Rabbit's Shape Book (both Kingfisher, 1994) are back. In a departure from the straight concept book theme, Brown Rabbit appears in a simple story. He invites friends over to play and prepares Jell-O molds complete with fruits and vegetables. There is plenty of opportunity here for color or object identification, as well as for counting and even telling time. In Gray Rabbit, youngsters join in the bunny's search for his favorite book. Readers are asked to spot the odd item in each scene (a paintbrush among teacups, a yellow duck among purple toys), and it is identified on the following page. The focus then changes to sorting blocks by color and building them into a square, wall, tower, and finally a chair, where Gray is asleep with his book in his lap. In both titles, the drab rabbits contrast nicely with the cheerful acrylic hues that make up the rest of each illustration. Interesting and amusing details in each picture add to the appeal. Instructional titles that are lots of fun for prereaders.Marsha McGrath, Clearwater Public Library, FL

Alan Baker has illustrated The Odyssey and The Story of King Arthur, both published by Kingfisher. In addition, Alan created the popular and successful Little Rabbits series, which has sold over half-a-million copies in the U.S. Alan is a lecturer in illustration at the University of Brighton, England.