FIVE for a Little One (review)

This poetic paean to the five senses cheers on a young bunny as it revels in smell ("Sample scents of flowers and foods, oceans and woods"), hearing ("Catch the honking, barking, singing"), sight ("See the sunsets, skylines, mountains"), taste ("Taste and try this berry pie"), and touch ("Finger feathers, granite, ice") under the watchful eye of loving parents ("Five senses—just enough—to know the love we have for you"). The impressionistic lyric offers some evocative readaloud/participation possibilities, but it involves some challenging vocabulary for toddlers and takes some strange detours ("Wool is nice. Make sure it's real"); the numbering element gets confusing when it switches from enumerating the senses to a reference to the bunny's two parents. Raschka's broad black lines have a granular texture that contrasts pleasingly with the soft fuzzy wash touches and the geometric block prints that constitute the sources of sensual stimulation; the featured bunny is a particularly adorable blend of humanoid expression and bunny pettability. This doesn't have the clarity of a Margaret Miller or Anthea Sieveking concept book, but it could certainly occasion some creative readaloud games or just opportunities for lapsitting cuddles.