Color Farm

K-Gr 2-- "Elegant pizazz" might best describe this latest concept book of shapes and colors. Each solid-colored page displays a single cut-out shape (square, triangle, circle, oval, etc.) in its center. Around this cut-out are other printed shapes placed in a collage manner to suggest a familiar animal, which is named in bold at the bottom of the page. Depth in the design is expertly executed by means of page overlays, so that the animals' shapes build upon each other, one by one. Rooster (a square face) has been overlayed upon Duck, (octagon), which in turn has been built upon Chicken (pentagon). Verso pages label the shape that was cut out. At the end of the sequence, a single page shows, in review, the shapes and their names. Brightness, boldness, and sturdiness combine with a basic concept and unique design to inspire children to beg for some scraps of colored paper to make their own animals. Be prepared for requests from teachers to save a copy for their classroom collections or unit studies. --Mary Lou Budd, Milford South Elementary School, OH

"Ehlert creates a playful menagerie from geometric graphics and overlays. The designs stack up to form stylized faces of barnyard animals, with changing combinations creating new faces as pages are turned." —"Booklist"Like "Color Zoo, an outstanding concept book." —"Kirkus