THERE'S ONLY ONE OF ME!

What youngster hasn't been confused by an array of family relatives and their varying connections? One family birthday gathering addresses all that! Pat Hutchins makes each relationship charmingly clear as the heroine welcomes each of her guests to her party. Suzanne Toren's narration introduces each new arrival, from mother to great-grandmother, with deliberate pomp. Her pacing is regally refined, and the birthday girl is never upstaged. The cumulative welcomings beg for repetition and joining in while young listeners pour over Hutchins's ebullient illustrations. The party's sound effects of clapping and cheering, as well as the continually opening door, heighten the excitement of the celebration. Come on in! A.R. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 06]