First Things First: A Baby's Companion

I began writing this review with great confidence, only to discover that the reasons that this book is a delight and that my hard-cover edition is coming to pieces from endless readings are reasons that are difficult to convey. *First Things First* is a picture book of categorized *stuff*. It is an antidote for parent and child alike to those big books that have lots and lots (and lots) of words in them under pictures of firehouses, policemen, parking meters, stores, barns....but you know exactly what I mean. *First Things First* orders items the way a child might. On one fully opened page, we have "SOME ANIMALS" (all labelled, all with interesting expressions and stances); on another page are "TWO COWS", one red and white, and one purple, and both accompanied by poems ("the friendly cow all red and white..." Robert Louis Stevenson); on the next page, children cavort around a maypole with "COLORED RIBBONS" (each color is named). The purple cow holds the purple ribbon. If your child wants to browse, there are pages of "LOTS OF INSECTS" or "THREE SHAPES" or "FLOWERS". My favorite page is that of "A GREAT BIG CAULIFLOWER" (with a child in it), but I'm pretty attached to the "PEASE Porridge hot" page, too. Not only are all the bits and poems and pictures of children and porridge and vegetables and animals fun to look at, but the book is small and manageable in scope and besides, on p. 36 all the little peas wear tiny hats. Someone should bring this back into print. And, sorry, I'm not lending out my copy.