Colors, Numbers, Letters

Leo Lionni's playful mice present the three most basic early-learning concepts in one irresistible board book. Cheerful collage mice prance across the pages as they identify the colors of the rainbow. They make math fun by counting each other. And they're up to their best tricks as they cavort, juggle and play hide-and-seek with the 26 letters of the alphabet. With its rounded corners and non-toxic ink,Colors, Numbers, Letterscan be enjoyed by the very youngest of "readers." It's brimful of fun things for parents to point out and talk about with their baby or toddler, and makes an inexpensive, yet beautiful and thoughtful gift for baby showers.

Leo Lionni, an internationally known designer, illustrator, and graphic artist, was born in Holland and studied in Italy until he came to the United States in 1939. He was the recipient of the 1984 American Institute of Graphic Arts Gold Medal and was honored posthumously in 2007 with the Society of Illustrators Lifetime Achievement Award. His picture books are distinguished by their enduring moral themes, graphic simplicity, and brilliant use of collage, and include four Caldecott Honor Books: Inch by Inch, Frederick, Swimmy, and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse. Hailed as "a master of the simple fable" by the Chicago Tribune, he died in 1999 at the age of 89.