Daisy Plays Hide-and-Seek

PreS–Jake’s games of hide-and-seek with his cow, Daisy, are particularly challenging because of her ability to change colors and camouflage herself. In this exuberant story, the child searches high and low, in “smelly places,” “muddy places,” and “sparkling clean places,” but Daisy continues to elude him. Young children will enjoy seeking out the bovine on each page, whether she blends in with a stone wall, a haystack, or a laundry line. The book reinforces spatial vocabulary and concepts like “over” and “under.” It has the kind of lilting, predictable text that children will delight in memorizing. The illustrations in pastel and watercolor depict a charming rural landscape with contrasting smooth planes and nubby, textured rubbings. Sandall uses long horizontals and white space effectively to convey Jake’s movement through the scenery. The boy has a soft, squishy face; tiny, widely spaced eyes; and just a line for a nose and mouth. The cow is also minimally drawn and has a distinctive misshapen eye (or perhaps white spot around an eye). The final spread, which depicts Daisy standing out among a group of Holsteins, celebrates the power of being unique in a herd. A satisfying read-aloud.–Jess deCourcy Hinds, Bard High School Early College Queens, NY