This Plus That

PreS-K—Rosenthal's concept is a good one, but it doesn't translate well as a picture book. The author has created a hit-or-miss selection of "life's little equations," such as "laughter + keeping secrets + sharing = best friend" and "barefoot + screen door + popsicles = summer." Some of them work, but others are a stretch. Equations like "small + bottle = baby" and "leaves + hot soup = fall" may not make a lot of sense to young minds that process information in literal terms. The randomness of the selections and the tenuous connection between some of the variables are problematic. However, the illustrations are bright and cheerful and provide clues to help make the equations comprehensible. The book might function as a conversation starter between an adult and child, and Corace's images are enjoyable to peruse, but children aren't likely to gravitate to this head-scratcher by themselves.—Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR