The Everything Book encompasses a lot of little everythings that a very young child will find familiar.
Each spread of text and illustrations stands on its own, yet all the pages come together nicely to make a familiar and fun
book of everything. "Part concept book, part word book and part nursery rhyme anthology, Fleming's vibrant
picture-book hodgepodge surely lives up to its title" (Publisher's Weekly 2000).
Denise Fleming's illustrations are unique and appealing. Colored cotton fiber is poured through a stencil, giving
the pictures a sponge like texture. The colors are bright and lively, and the edges of the stenciled shapes are soft,
fuzzy, and friendly. Her illustrations are particularly suited for their intended age range; no less work is involved
in Fleming's level of detail, but her details are friendly, fuzzy and appealing to very young children.
The subject matter is perfectly preschool. From shapes and letters to counting and colors, Fleming includes all
things toddler . . . with trains, traffic lights, kitchen toys and favorite places (such as under a table or behind a chair)
also being included. Fleming matches her illustrations with simple lines of text, such as a short poem or only a single
word. A poem on every page might have been too much for this audience, so the book is varied from page to page.
This bright and lively book is also appealing to read again and again, emphasizing different things each time.
And just when you think you may have used this book to its fullest capacity, try counting all of the 119 ladybugs that make
appearances throughout the pages of this book.
Fleming, Denise. The Everything Book. New York: Henry Holt and Co., 2000.
