Spiky, Slimy, Smooth

PreS-Gr 2—A variety of textures and surfaces is shown and contrasted in this casually structured visual feast. The examples include objects and foods with soft, gooey, dry, sharp, smooth, slimy, crunchy, hard surfaces that can be experienced by mouth, by touch, and some both ways. Each texture is described with one or more adjectives, which are highlighted in color. Most spreads reveal two examples. "Sticky and gooey" shows jam-covered toast opposite "gooey and very ooooooozy" mud-covered feet. The large size of the book and full-bleed photos (many close-up) give readers a sense of intimacy, as does the informal font choice. The brief text on each page is superimposed over the images or set against a textured beige background. Not really a book on the sense of touch and not really a book on adjectives, this amalgam will work in either science or language arts classrooms. But just browsing and enjoying the lovely photos will appeal to youngsters as well.—Carol S. Surges, McKinley Elementary School, Wauwatosa, WI