A classic of the predictable books genre, Bill Martin Jr. uses both repetition and suspense to craft a tightly written picture book. The piece presents nine animals, one teacher, and a group of students, asking each what they see. The brief, declarative response leads the reader to the next page, and the next character. Eric Carle's iconic, slightly abstract illustrations dominate each double-page spread with a principal color (brown bear, red bird, etc.). The pictures themselves demonstrate the careful use of shade variations within the page's color which gives Carle his distinctive style. As the human characters enter the book, their images also become more compositionally complex, culminating in the rainbow of faces on the "Children, Children" page. The variety of races evident on this penultimate picture drives home the book's thematic acceptance of diversity which was introduced through the non-judgmental presentation each different animal. ( )

kids love this book, they like to "read" it by themselves ( )

Independent reading level grade 1 ages 4+
Children's Literature Legacy Award 2003

Independent Reading Level: Grades K-1
Bill Martin Jr Picture Book Award

Reading Level ages 2-5
Awards International Reading Association / Children's Book Council (IRA / CBC) Children's Choice, 1984