Color of the Seasons: One Yellow Sun by Michael Arndt

The countdown begins with ten and goes down again as far as it can go, ending with zero, a nice round number. (We'll keep negative numbers for another numerical day!)

First comes a set of ten silvery beads, then nine round rocky pebbles in a conservative gray, and eight equally rounded raisins. (Raisins are more oval shaped, but that's a book for another day.)

Following the sweetness of the raisins, it's please pass the seven green peas! Rolling out next are blueberries, six of them, and yes, they are blue! Then we see five rounded, rollable purple grapes, four pink and spherical, burst-able bubbles, three red bouncy balls, two orange (of course) oranges warmed to summer sweetness by one bright yellow sun, and hiding, somewhere out of that sun... perhaps in Ultima Thule...

Zero snow-white snowballs.

Author-artist Michael Arndt draws upon his graphic imaging chops and a little die-cut, board-book wizardry to make each one of the pages count, in his brand-new One Yellow Sun (M books: see + read) (Andres MCMeal, 2020), with natural colors as seen in something round, in his introductory concept book which covers shapes and colors through the seasons. For the littlest color-lover, this is a tasty combination done with warmth, bright hues, and a surprise on each page as it is turned. A brightly designed "graduation" page for emergent readers takes youngsters up and down again numerically and verbally. Early preschoolers will enjoy guessing what comes next beneath each die-cut color clue, and beginning readers will be able to identify the word for each rounded object. Says Kirkus Reviews, "Simplicity at its finest—-don’t miss this innovative board book that’s as beautiful as it is educational.”

Monsters Come Out Tonight! by Frederick Glaser

THE FULL MOON SHIMMERS IN THE SKY.

PUMPKINS GLOW AND BLACK BATS FLY.

There's no telling what characters may appear at your door on Halloween.

There might be a skeleton or someone who looks like Dracula!

Or...

MOONBEAMS THAT MAKE YOU CHANGE AND GROW

SPROUTING HAIR FROM HEAD OR TOE...!

Could that be a werewolf?

Warty witches fly down from the sky. Frankie Frankenstein lumbers by and Mumbly Mummy in winding wrappings wanders up to ring the bell.

All the spooky denizens are likely to be in sight on Halloween night, and any one of them might be in store when you open that door!

But Frederick Glaser's new toy-and-movable board book, Monsters Come Out Tonight! (Abrams Appleseed Books, 2019), filled with clever rhyming couplets and the comic illustrations of noted artist Edward Miller, offers a cheery preview to all the cliche' scary characters who may appear on Halloween night, providing the youngest holiday celebrants an anxiety-reducing introduction to ghosties and goblins and things that go bump (or ring the doorbell) in the night. With easy flaps for young fingers, little ones can open the "door" to all those costumed critters, and the final four-page gatefold opens wide to give kids a chance to put on their costumes and join in the Monster Ball with them all.

LIFT THE FLAPS AND LET THE FUN BEGIN!

Be Wary, Larry! Don't Push the Buttons: A Halloween Treat by Bill Cotter

WOW! We did such a good job of trick-or-treating.

We have so much candy!

This is the only house left.

Larry, be wary! This house is rumored to be the residence of monsters. Should he quit while he's ahead?

Please! Don't ring that doorbell!!!

But Larry, that cute little lavender monster, has never met a push button he didn't love, and this spooky, dark, haunted house is no exception.

So of course he pushes that button!

EEK! MONSTERS!

Larry is going to need lots of help from his young fans on the way to a big surprise beyond that final BIG RED BUTTON, in Bill Cotter's latest interactive book for young fans, Don't Push the Button! A Halloween Treat Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky, 2018). Great for toddlers just discovering the joys of books as well as just right for emergent readers who will delight in its easy-reading interactive style with plenty of pushing, shaking, and noise-making that invite kids to get into a book in a fun way. Cotter's bold graphics will lead youngsters through the actions even if they can't quite read the brief text, and this one is a fun way for the grown ups to get in on the Halloween-themed action.

More metafictional Larry adventures by Bill Cotter are Don't Push the Button! Don't Touch This Book! and Don't Push the Button! A Christmas Adventure.

Not Lost for Long! Reindeer's Nosy Christmas by Kali Stileman

REINDEER'S LOST IN THE SNOW.

"MY NOSE WILL SHOW ME WHERE TO GO!"

There's something orange ahead. Is it Santa's carrot cookies?

No, it's a snowman's CARROT NOSE!

What's that fluffy white stuff? Santa's bushy beard?

Nope! That white hair belongs to a POLAR BEAR!

What Reindeer spies are some twinkly eyes. Could they belong to St. Nick?

No way. That's a fuzzy fowl called an OWL!

There are plenty of touch-and-feel experiences along the way as Reindeer hones in on the real object of his search--Santa Claus--waiting with a big plate of lumpy, bumpy cookies as a reward, in Kali Stileman's tactile story in her new Christmas touch-and-feel board book,Reindeer's Nosy Christmas (Thomas Nelson/Make Believe Ideas, 2018) The fun starts with Reindeer's big, liquid-filled transparent nose filled with tiny foil stars which follow the finger and swirl intriguingly with the movement of a finger. More tactile sensations follow on the way as Reindeer follows the clues that cue him in that he's on the right track to find Santa.

This Is Your Life, Pete the Cat: Meet Pete by James Dean

PETE LOVES TO PLAY WITH HIS FRIENDS AND TRY NEW THINGS.

Pete is a groovy cat who needs no introduction to most kids. But for those tykes just being introduced to books, his creator, James Dean, has provided him with a vita of his own, a brand-new tabbed board book, Pete the Cat: Meet Pete (Harper Festival, 2017).

With tabs at the top and right side of this sturdy board book, young readers can access thumbnail pictures and descriptions of Pete and his besties--Bob, his brother, who teaches Pete what he needs to know; Pete's Mom and Dad, who are far-out parents who drive him to lessons and teach him new stuff to do; Callie, the nicest cat around, Emma, a dandy dog who plays catch with Pete; Grumpy Toad, who hits the road on his monster cycle; Gus, Pete's shy but persistent percussionist, and Marty the Monkey, who take care of the necessary silliness for the group.

For tots who are likely to need a cast of characters before tackling the many adventures of Pete The Cat, this little board book is a handy guide, not only to all things Pete, but also as an introduction to the concept of the table of contents for any book, a nice gift for the youngest Pete fans!

What Could Happen? Don't Push the Button! Christmas Adventure by Bill Cotter

LIKE WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO WITH A BUTTON?

Larry, the purple guy with little blue horns and the big portable red button is back, about to take a trip down YOUR chimney! Beware!

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! You know Larry's rule...

DON'T PUSH THE BUTTON!

S. Claus wouldn't add you to his naughty list just for pushing that pretty red button, would he? Maybe just one entsy weentsy little push while the elf on the shelf isn't looking....?

OOPS! Now I'm...

GREEN--LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE!

Maybe another little push will reverse the effect?

But no. Now Larry's a tree all decorated with lights. Can we reverse the magic with two pushes?

Guess again, Candy Kane! At least red and white look good on him. Larry suggests shaking the book--resulting in a snow storm.

Where's Rudolph when we need him? Try pressing the button super hard, this time, Larry suggests.

Bingo!

There only one thing left to do to get this Christmas show on the road, and Santa Claus appears with one big request that's going to require that all the readers get on board with Larry's plan. He needs everyone to help St. Nick crank his sleigh. All it takes is, on the count of three, one big ...PUSH!

In Bill Cotter's latest Larry tale, Don't Push the Button! A Christmas Adventure (Sourcebooks, 2017), the red button provides the Christmas magic in this new interactive book which encourages youngsters to enable all the beloved Christmas things--from bright Christmas trees to candy canes, Santa's sleigh to Rudolph--to appear. A companion book to Cotter's hit book, Don't Push the Button! this new one is another interactive board book that plays with the icons of the season and the concept of the book as toy. This one works as both a story circle read-aloud and as a great stocking stuffer for a toddler or preschooler.

Warm Feelings! Guess How Much I Love You in the Winter by Sam McBratney

Little Nut Brown Hare and Big Nut Brown Hare went out in the winter snow. They played I Spy as they hopped through the snow.

"I spy something that belongs to a spider," says Big Nut Brown Hare.

Little Nut Brown Hare scrutinizes the all-white scene. Could there be a spider in all this snow? Then he spies something.

"A WEB!"

What's more fun than walking and playing a game in the snow with Dad? And Little Nut Brown Hare is sharp as a tack. He spots something that belongs to the river. It's water, of course. Easy-peasy!

Then Big Nut Brown gives him a harder question.

"I SPY SOMETHING THAT BELONGS TO YOU!"

Little Nut Brown Hare looks down at himself doubtfully. He's not wearing mittens or a scarf... or anything! Then Big Nut Brown Hare offers him a prompt.

"IT'S ONLY THERE WHEN THE SUN COMES OUT."

Aha! Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Little Nut Brown Hare and his dad are having a fine walk in the winter scene, in Sam McBratney's latest in his beloved Guess How Much I Love You series, Guess How Much I Love You in the Winter: Deluxe Cut Paper Edition (Candlewick Press, 2016). And there is something extra-special in this wintry edition with beautiful cut-out, layered three-dimensional illustrations of woodsy winter vistas by Anita Jera, making this title a standout among the seasonal crop of snow and Valentine's Day stories. Youngsters will love studying the pages and playing I Spy along with the Nut Brown pair and join into the warm and loving story of father and son hugs. Pair this one with the plush toy for a heart-warming gift for a special preschooler.

A Dog's Life: Dog's Don't Brush Teeth by Diane de Groat and Shelley Rotner

In a departure from her popular school days series Gilbert and Friends,Diane deGroat has a brand-new flap book sure to delight youngsters.

In Dogs Don't Brush Their Teeth! (Orchard, 2009) co-authors deGroat and Shelley Rotner have juxtaposed flap pages with what "Dogs do"--ride in cars with heads out the window, fetch sticks--with what "Dogs don't"--drive the family sedan ("Are we there yet?") and swing for the fences in baseball games.

In deGroat's hilariously PhotoShopped illustrations, digital art meets careful illustration and deliciously embedded visual jokes. For example, in the spread which shows the "Dogs do" page, a dog is cleaning his teeth with Breath Bones and chew toys, while under the flap on the "Dog's don't" page we see what dogs don't do--polish their teeth (complete with orthodontia) with White Fang Toothpaste and Oral D Doggie Floss.

Kids will no doubt begin to anticipate the under-the-flap action as they proceed through the book: "Dogs do" howl at the moon; "dogs don't" shout rock 'n' roll; "Dogs do" squat to answer the call of nature; "dogs don't" sit on toilets. In the final spread the designers have another little visual joke. "Dogs do" sleep on their owner's beds, while "dogs don't" read in bed; the bedtime book for the pajama-ed canine reader is, of course, Dogs Don't Brush Their Teeth.

DeGroat and Rotner use a variety of breeds in a variety of poses to make their Dogs Don't Brush Their Teeth! an inventive and charming addition to the "toy and movable book" genre for the preschool set.