Mine, Mine, Mine, Yours!

Toddler-PreS--Three toddlers enjoy a fun playdate at home under the close eye of a father/caretaker in this companion story to Gee's Up, Up, Up, Down! Both parents and children, especially toddlers the same age as the lively characters, will be drawn to the gentle, bubbly illustrations showing the events of the day, from outside play on a slide to clean-up after a gooey snack. Inspired by the multitude of directions children hear in a day, the book sets a cheerful, brisk pace where a word, repeated three times in large print, pairs with its opposite word on the next page to mark each change in the outome. The light orange text shares space with several colorful illustrative parts per page, so a toddler's understanding of these separate scenes in their intended order may depend on an adult's involvement. Visual cues, as when the parental character appears to teach lessons about sharing and taking turns, invite discussion of the scenarios portrayed about how friends should treat one another. VERDICT Featuring a relatable concept of word opposites, this friendly toddler tale has wide appeal.--Rachel Mulligan, Westampton, NJ