Little Naomi, Little Chick by Avirama Golan, illustrated by Raaya Karas

Simple, poetic text follows Little Naomi throughout her day. She gets ready for preschool, enjoys a fun day with her friends and teachers, helps her mother, plays and finally gets ready for bed. But while Naomi enjoys her day, what is Little Chick doing?

This is a sweet and fun story. I reviewed it from a F&G (folded and bound) galley, so some things may change, but I really liked the format it was in. It's a rectangle, kind of like an oversized easy reader. On the left side of the page is the text describing Naomi's actions and always ending in the phrase "But not Little Chick." Under the text is a simple sketch of Naomi in action. On the right side of the page is a full illustration of Little Chick's parallel actions. When Naomi is making handprints with paint, the illustration shows Little Chick making muddy tracks across the yard. When Naomi is taking a bath, Little Chick and her friends are being washed down by their parents under a spigot, etc.

The crayon and pencil illustrations are soft and gently humorous and the text, translated from the original Hebrew is simply but sweetly written. I'm not sure that younger children will really grasp the more subtle humor of the two parallel days, but it's still a fun story even if you don't "get" it. Also, it's not easy to find books showing kids in preschool and I'm always looking for more titles.

Verdict: This won't be an instant bestseller like Fancy Nancy or Pete the Cat, but if you are looking for more everyday activity books, especially showing kids going to preschool, you'll want to add this title.

ISBN: 9780802854278; Published September 2013 by Eerdmans Young Readers; F&G provided by publisher through LibraryThing Early Reviewers; Added to the library possible orders list.