Where Do You Look?

"Where do you look for glasses? On a shelf? Or on a face?" This introduction to homonyms for young children pairs its series of questions with generously patterned collage artwork that has an inviting homespun feel, like a patchwork quilt. For the most part, the book sticks to items familiar to the audience -- a toothpaste cap and a baseball cap; a button on a shirt and a button on a phone. The illustrations are decorative to the point that they sometimes confuse matters, as when the question about looking for a "trunk" in a garden has a doll picnic front-and-center, with the trunk (of a tree) off to the side. The question about whether readers would look for a "match" on a soccer field is also problematic because American children typically call what transpires on a soccer field a "game." Still, the book's warmth and cheerfulness impart the message that it's not just toys that can be played with -- words can be played with, too. christine m. heppermann