Starring Me! Picture My Day by Severine Cordier

"HEY! THAT'S WHAT I DO!"

Kids love to see themselves in a book, and in Severine Cordier's just out Picture My Day (Owlkids Books, 2012), a young child can journey through the day, from the first rays of morning sunlight streaming through the window and highlighting an abandoned fuzzy bunny, to the darkened window (and still abandoned rabbit) at night.

Vocabulary is the emphasis here, beginning with a double page spread of various sleeping gear. Children are shown snoozing in a "bed," "crib" and "bunk bed," while humorous animals snore in hammocks, on clouds, mats, pillows, and even leaning together on bookshelves. There are "pillows" and "blankets" and a variety of sleeping gear--"pajamas," "sleepers," and "nightgowns,"--all labeled in easy, lower-case manuscript. With breakfast come "sippy cups," a variety of "glasses," "bowls" and "cups." and the usual fare, even "Grandma's jam."

The day progresses through haircombing, brushing teeth, and choosing the wardrobe from the day, cleverly displayed on a long clothesline--socks, overalls, jeans, tank tops, T-shirts, and sweaters to fit the clime. After time with the "toilet," it's on to playtime, with "blocks," "toy cars," and "crayons" and "colored pencils," and then on to "musical instruments," "books" and "storytime," "teddies" and "dolls."

Outside activities include "strollers" and "scooters," visiting neighbors, and shopping at the small local "market." "playgrounds" and "parks" for exercise. Back home, it's time to do some cooking with Dad, a survey of foods from "pastas" to vegetables such as "leeks" and "carrots."

And after eating, Dad takes the kids outside again, this time for wading and fishing in the nearby stream, sailing "paper boats" and enjoying snacks from the "picnic basket." There is a visit to the beach in "summer clothes," and an excursion for a look into winter fun with snowflakes, snowmen, and snowball games, sleds, snow boots, and stocking caps.

Cordier brings it all back home just in time for "family dinner," "acting silly" riding on Dad's back, "bathtime," "bathrobes," "toothbrushes" "bedtime stories" "snuggling" and then back where we started, "bedtime" with that forgotten bunny still taking his rest on the floor.

North American kids may puzzle at some of the different items featured in this book, first published in France--drip coffee carafes on the stove top rather than the familiar one-piece electric coffeemaker, and sugar shown as cubes in a jar rather than spoonable grains in a sugar bowl But such differences serve to show the richness of differing family environments and provide opportunities for interaction, as in "What do you think sugar looks like?" Good for home and preschool, and useful for English language learners as a predictable picture journal of any child's day, Picture My Day is a worthy addition to the preschool bookshelf.