Numbers

Deborah Dowson is a children’s librarian who has recently relocated to
North Wales, Pennsylvania.

In an effort to make reading appealing to youngsters, many publishers
have been marketing toys along with books. It promises to be a lucrative
strategy, judging from the way kids gravitate toward these products on
the bookstore shelves. The small-book puzzles in this series have a
plastic snap case attached to them that contains small plastic puzzle
pieces. A sticker identifies the object depicted. The text flows very
well. Each page poses a question for the preschooler to solve (e.g.,
“What is this? It is a toy that bounces. What is it called? BALL”).
The child must match the appropriate piece to the corresponding place on
the page. The pieces fit into the depression in the page, but the book
does not close once the pieces are in place. The pieces must be stored
in the plastic case and they fit only if positioned in a particular way.


Although these products are books, the pieces they contain could pose a
threat to the preschoolers for whom they are designed. Unlike toy
products, they are not governed by safety regulations. Small plastic
bits covered with paper stickers that beg to be peeled or chewed make
this a product that demands adult supervision. The small pieces make it
impractical for a library collection. Not recommended.