Picnic: How Do You Say It?

School Library Journal

PreS Up These picture books are worth sharing with anyone intrigued by language, not just the preschool set. At first glance these deceptively simple books resemble Beau Gardener's The Look Againand Again, and Again, and Again Book (Lothrop, 1983), and they are designed to be ``read'' in the same way, by viewing the central illustration from all four sides. Unlike Gardener's book, however, each quarter turn of Dunham's book reveals not different objects in the illustration but the English, French, Spanish, and Italian names for the item. On the facing page, a blank square is surrounded by the words in phonetic transcription to help with pronunciation. Dunham's skill as a graphic artist is evident in her crisp, vibrant illustrations. The visual image is equally interesting from all four sides, revealing new dimensions of simple patterns. The colors volume, for example, includes a luscious selection of brown chocolates, a striking white telephone on a black background, and a slice of yellow Swiss cheese. Preschoolers exploring language will enjoy the sounds of the words, and older children might become interested in studying etymology. Kathy Piehl, Mankato State University, Minn.