Lots of Dots

Lots of Dots

By Craig Frazier; illus. by the author
http://www.craigfrazier.com/

1-4 Preschool, Primary Chronicle 32 pp.

978-008118-7715-2 Hardcover $15.99
Non-Fiction

“Some dots are big, some dots are small, some dots float and some dots fall.” So begins Craig Frazier’s exuberant invitation to explore the various forms dots take. The illustrations are clean and uncluttered, with Frazier’s sorbet colored graphic art popping off the white backgrounds and drawing the reader’s eye to orange dots on a tree, ice cream dots on a cone and yellow button dots, to name just a few of the places the eponymous dots pop up. Every element, from the dots themselves to the broadly smiling man who interacts with the dots on each page, is designed to invite readers to notice dots in places where they might not have otherwise. The rhyming text is likewise straightforward and clean, with a predictable, memorable rhythm that will draw younger readers in and provide older readers with an opportunity to fill-in-the-blanks with the help of the colorful spreads.  In this way, Lots of Dots works on multiple levels. For pre-readers and toddlers, it’s a good tool for introducing colors and shapes and object naming. For the pre-school set, it’s an invitation to participate in the rhythm of the text while noticing the dots in their own environments. Lots of Dots is a fun, well-paced, educational read in the tradition of Tana Hoban’s So Many Circles, So Many Squares. An excellent choice for mixed-age storytimes, Lots of Dots will open kids eyes to one of the many shapes that fill the world.