Eats by Marthe Jocelyn, illustrated by Tom Slaughter (2007)

          Excellent for both toddlers and tots (even babies), Eats features bright, primary colors, simple illustrations, two words per page and opportunities for participation and discussion.  Each 1-2 page spread shows an animal and one food item it eats.  Many of the animals will be familiar to toddlers and tots (bird, apple, squirrel, giraffe), while others will add new Vocabulary (anteater, squid, nectar, bamboo).  Children can try to guess the food item based on the photos and the placement of the words is good on many pages for Print Awareness.

          A good parent message can be "a book doesn't have to have a lot of text or a big storyline to share some great vocabulary words, and kids learn new words by hearing them and putting them in a context they can understand."

- Natasha Forrester