Everything I Need to Know Before I'm Five

Starred review from May 30, 2011
Fisher (The Fantastic 5 & 10¢ Store) gives preschoolers a leg up on need-to-know information in this energetic collection. In candy-colored multimedia collages, built with dollhouse-size toys and yard-sale bric-a-brac, she presents such topics as weather, seasons, and numbers up to 20 (from 11 on, she lines up color-
coded marbles). In a section on opposites, two dolls stand with arms wide to demonstrate an "easy" stance, while another pair takes the same positionâon their headsâfor "hard"; one petite doll stands behind an actual-size green plastic frog for "push," while another demonstrates "pull" with a string. Animal figurines pose with shapes (star, heart, circle); blocks spell the names of colors, topped by molded dinosaurs and rubber duckies. An upper- and lower-case alphabet rounds out the book, with Fisher meticulously arranging a pink flamingo and plastic fork for F, teeny teacups for T, and a yo-yo for Y. Considering all the titles on just one of these topics, these vintage/tacky photo-spreads are worth several books in one, even as they display the vast potential in rummage sales and vending machines. Ages 1â5.

June 1, 2011

Fisher packs a lot—if not exactly everything, or perhaps not even some of the most important things—into this compendium of basic concepts for young children: letters, numbers up to 20, colors, shapes, opposites, seasons.

The title indulges in a bit of hyperbole, perhaps as a lure to a certain kind of nervous but ambitious parent. Small toys, objects and plastic dolls are lined up, combined or used to create clever tableaus to photographically illustrate each concept. Mixing colors, for instance, employs plastic ducks in various shades to demonstrate the result of color combinations. The superb clarity and rich, saturated colors of these photos create page openings that are nearly startling in their brightness. While the people figures are nicely retro with their bland, naive faces, there's little diversity demonstrated or implied. And the collection of concepts misses a bet in another important way: For all the charming silliness going on in many of these miniature scenes, others seem static. It's funny to see tiny figures in aprons and hair buns cleaning up an enormous ladybug, but literal-minded young readers will search the image in vain to find any of those abstract essential concepts (being a friend, taking care of the earth, asking for help) one ought to know before age five.

Cheerful, if not exactly essential, fun.  (Picture book. 2-6)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

July 1, 2011

PreS-K-The retro stylings of toy giraffes in bow ties, sheep in wire-rimmed glasses, and colorful rubber ducks make the pictures in this concept book a delight. Fisher covers numbers 1 to 20, opposites, shapes, colors, seasons, weather words, and the alphabet, portraying these concepts with collage photos of amusing objects sure to spark conversations. The cover art, portraying a doll driving a dump truck full of blocks and letters, is likely to hold appeal for both boys and girls. While the book may not contain everything a child needs to know before kindergarten, it's a great start.-Lindsay Persohn, Crystal Lake Elementary, Lakeland, FL

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2011
Preschool-K One look at the enticing cover tells you all you need to know about this delightful concept book. With the tongue-in-cheek title and the life-size photo of a bright-yellow toy dump truck driven by a pint-size doll and overflowing with richly colored plastic letters, numbers, and appealing toys, this oozes funwith a little learning on the side. Inside, eight concepts (numbers, opposites, shapes, colors, mixing colors, seasons, weather, and the alphabet) are creatively displayed by crisp photos featuring appealing miniature toys that practically pop off the page. For example, each numeral is represented by a large, vivid likeness of the number crawling with exactly that many toy animals (dinosaurs, grasshoppers, rubber ducks). Further concepts are presented in slightly different ways to avoid repetition. Reminiscent of the easiest I Spy books, this beautifully designed title will be enjoyed by children on their own as well as alongside adults.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2012
This brightly colored, lively encyclopedia is a lot of fun for the youngest readers. Amusing photographs of elementary concepts (numbers, opposites, shapes, colors and color mixing, weather, and the alphabet) fill each well-laid-out spread. Though most four-year-olds don't know the words sphere or cylinder or how to mix colors, this book is just the one to introduce the concepts to them.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2011
Despite its unfortunate title, which appeals to the same folks who think there is a body of knowledge that's required at each stage of development (P.S. There isn't), this brightly colored, lively encyclopedia is a lot of fun for the youngest readers. Amusing photographs of elementary concepts (numbers, opposites, shapes, colors and color mixing, weather, and the alphabet) fill each spread, allowing the youngster to read aloud and practice the ideas. Plastic toys populate each page, often in funny poses and situations that will help little learners remember them for a long time. All details of the layout are well planned, especially the spread for the numbers eleven to twenty: ten marbles are to the left of the gutter, allowing the right side to hold the remaining marbles, a perfect demonstration of the importance of tens in our number system. The toy people used to demonstrate seasons and weather have a retro vibe (and retro gender roles): only boys play baseball here. Though most four-year-olds don't know the words sphere or cylinder or how to mix colors, this book is just the one to introduce the concepts to them. robin l. smith

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

June 1, 2011

Fisher packs a lot--if not exactly everything, or perhaps not even some of the most important things--into this compendium of basic concepts for young children: letters, numbers up to 20, colors, shapes, opposites, seasons.

The title indulges in a bit of hyperbole, perhaps as a lure to a certain kind of nervous but ambitious parent. Small toys, objects and plastic dolls are lined up, combined or used to create clever tableaus to photographically illustrate each concept. Mixing colors, for instance, employs plastic ducks in various shades to demonstrate the result of color combinations. The superb clarity and rich, saturated colors of these photos create page openings that are nearly startling in their brightness. While the people figures are nicely retro with their bland, naive faces, there's little diversity demonstrated or implied. And the collection of concepts misses a bet in another important way: For all the charming silliness going on in many of these miniature scenes, others seem static. It's funny to see tiny figures in aprons and hair buns cleaning up an enormous ladybug, but literal-minded young readers will search the image in vain to find any of those abstract essential concepts (being a friend, taking care of the earth, asking for help) one ought to know before age five.

Cheerful, if not exactly essential, fun. (Picture book. 2-6)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)