The Importance of Being Three

PreS—An ethnically diverse trio of three-year-olds explore and celebrate the magical number in this winning picture book. There are three bears, three little pigs, three primary colors, and three sides to a triangle. Ward effectively uses the number to show other activities and skills that preschoolers are learning, like the ABCs, sharing, and playing outside. Tantrums and time-outs also figure prominently in the catalogue of experiences, but the breezy tone is overwhelmingly cheerful. Both adults and the preschoolers on their laps will delight in identifying the trios that are scattered in the illustrations like Easter eggs: three French hens, three blind mice, a picture of Orion's belt. Despite these details, the layout is uncluttered, with plenty of white space. Ward's palette of teal, peach, lime green, and brown is both cheerful and soothing. The round-featured preschoolers are affable and appealing, even when they are in a temper.