Stepping Out

Author: Sue Williams

Illustrator: Julie Vivas

Publisher: Red Wagon Books

Length: 30 pages

Format: Board book

Size: 5 x 5.25 x .6 inches

I Went Walking (1996) has layers, like an onion. Peel it. I promise, no tears! The text is rhythmic, repetitive, and reminiscent of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle:

I went walking. What did you see? I saw a black cat looking at me ... 

After the cat, the main character spies a brown horse, a red cow, a green duck, a pink pig, and a yellow dog. Pretty pedestrian, except that it's not. I Went Walking is one of my favorite board books for toddlers.

An aside--more often than not, a children's book author and illustrator never meet. The writer writes then sends the story to an agent who sends it to an editor who (if she loves the book) convinces her colleagues to publish it. Only then does the editor assign an artist who writes the book, this time with pictures instead of words.

Artist Julie Vivas paints a curious and loving, colorful, wild-haired child who puts on a coat and takes a walk: She hugs a cat, nuzzles a horse, rides a cow, sheds the coat, befriends a duck, doffs a sock and shoe, showers a pig, bathes in dog kisses, leads a parade and revels in new-found friends. Vivas details a story beyond the original verse.

She draws a predictive tale. Literally! A glimpse of each animal's tail, paired with Williams' questioning verse, hints at what's to come.

Do you have a toddling one-year-old who can't sit still? Put down the book. Take a walk. What will you see? I see a . . . fill in the blank . . . looking at me. This off-the-page play is a great way to introduce new words through labeling, and to connect read-aloud to the real world.

AGES AND STAGES: 12-18 months (baby walks--first with a helping hand--then independently, baby may be unable to talk when walking, may name one or two familiar objects); 18-24 months (may name 2 or 3 pictures, may imitate a 2- or 4-word phrase); 24-36 months (child finds details in favorite picture book, points to colors when named)

Ages and Stages are based on The Hawaii Developmental Charts developed by Setsu Furuno, Ph.D., Katherine O'Reilly, PT, Takayo Inatsuka, OTR, Carol Hosaka, M.A., and Barbara Zeisloft Falbey, M.S., CCC-SLP. They are meant to be a general guide for book play. Abilities vary from child to child.