So much to learn, so little time! Join the mild-looking little boy protagonist as he learns the ABCs (alligator, bear, cow); numbers (1 through 10 children hanging from a tree--and back to zero when a tiger shows up); colors (John Burningham's vibrant oranges, purples, and greens will be stamped on the reader's memory for life!); and opposites (our hero holds up an elephant to illustrate heavy, and then practically floats away demonstrating how light his balloon is). This award-winning author-illustrator excels at depicting subtle, witty expressions, whether that of a zebra politely examining the boy's striped socks or that of an alligator showing the difference between open and shut (uh-oh, there goes our hero!). Lovely, quirky colored-ink and colored-pencil illustrations invite the young reader to sit down and stay awhile and maybe learn a thing or two along the way. Burningham has written and illustrated many whimsical childhood favorites, including Cloudland. (Baby to preschool) --Emilie Coulter