My Dog Truffle

From Publishers Weekly In a pair of heavy cardstock books by Lynn Reiser, favorite pets lead readers through the seasons with all five senses. My Dog Truffle begins with an opening spread of the pooch on a walk in the garden, with a woodpecker tapping on a tree. Icicles forming on a birdbath and Truffle's white breath indicate the changing season. The next page pairs a series of questions ("What did Truffle hear?/ What did Truffle see?") opposite relevant body parts on flaps. The flap with Truffle's ear hides the response "Truffle hears a woodpecker"; his eye, "Truffle saw his breath." Soon snow is falling. My Cat Tuna, her environment filled with robins and ladybugs, similarly greets the spring. (HarperCollins/Greenwillow, $14.95 each 20p ages 2-up ISBN 0-688-16875-2; 16874-4; Feb.)Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal PreSchool-These lift-the-flap books about the five senses give young children an opportunity to find out what a cat and a dog hear, see, smell, taste, and feel in the house and in the garden. Three of the double-page spreads in each book feature a list of five questions opposite a colorful watercolor painting with flaps. Each sensory question lines up with one of the five horizontal flaps illustrated with the particular part of the body to which it refers. For example, "What did Tuna hear?" is opposite the flap depicting the ears of the cat. When the flap is lifted, readers learn that Tuna hears a robin; the rain; and later, inside the house, she hears herself purr. The books will be too difficult to manage for storytimes due to the multiple horizontal flaps, and possibly, for some small hands. However, the large illustrations, simple language, and sparse text make them appropriate for one-on-one sharing.