R.O.Y.G.B.I.V.

The most fundamental lesson a child can learn is identifying all the colors of the rainbow. Today Debbie Glade reviews two small books for the youngest readers with big messages about colors.

Just look at the cover of Go Wild with Colours ($6.99, Trafalgar Square, all ages), written and illustrated by Neal Layton, and you will be in hurry to see what’s inside. This compact board book is beautiful in the simplest of ways. Each page features a different animal and a new color. It’s a great way for toddlers to start learning to identify colors. I like the fact that the book is ultra sturdy and the illustrations are ultra adorable – and of course, colorful too! NOTE: Colours is spelled the British way!

There are three other titles in the Go Wild series – Designs, Opposites and Noises.

The Smiley Book of Colors ($8.99, Golden Books/Random House, all ages) by Ruth Kaiser is awfully clever and cute. Everyday objects, such as a drawer, macaroni noodles, a hat, a toolbox, a fence and more are all made to look like smiley faces, while teaching children about colors. The simple rhyming prose is cheerful and will encourage little ones to study the photographs and learn to identify the colors. The book was inspired by the popular website, SpontaneousSmiley.com.

Parents will enjoy reading this book as much as their children. It’s just plain fun!