One Thousand Things

PreS-Gr 1—This visual encyclopedia introduces a variety of first words and concepts to preschool audiences. The content is organized into sections such as "First Things to Learn," "Things to Do with You," and "Things Around the World." Each spread shows a scene focused on a different theme with parts of the picture clearly labeled. Visually, the book works well, with all caps text that is large and easy to read. The digitally created illustrations are minimalistic and have an appealingly vintage feel. However, the organizational structure is not exactly intuitive. For example, "Things Around the World" includes pages about the seasons and weather, while "Things in Nature" contains a page called "What's in the Fruit Bowl?" Also, children will have difficulty distinguishing between the blue, light blue, and dark blue hues on the color spread. Despite the drawbacks, this book does have a lot to offer: the illustrations are eye-catching, and youngsters will enjoy searching for the mouse hidden on every page.