Attention, aspiring architects and engineers: a first builder's blueprint for constructing really, really tall buildings has arrived! A rosy-cheeked, sky-blue elephant digs into his plastic orange blocks container and stacks one, two more, and four blocks to build a tower as tall as he is. But due to a wiggly, wobbly base, it ascends precariously, only to topple over in a dramatic "CRASH! BOOM!" catastrophe. After an open-mouthed wail, little elephant decides to try again, using the flat sides rather than the ends. Finally, after a few more attempts, a solid structure appears, to the smiling pachyderm's satisfaction ("TA-DAH!"). Over generous white space, illustrations in bright primary colors incorporate both photographs and pencil drawings, encouraging a child's computation, creativity, and problem solving. The tenacious elephant, clad in a purple sweater, appears on every page, and his expressive face conveys his every emotion, obvious in this simple story for very young children who want to construct with expertise and count as they go.

An elephant tot stacks wooden blocks to measure height. Elephant's block play is just like young readers': Elephant kneels, crouches, and stands in the course of building towers that equal their own height. A smile and wide-thrown arms express joy and satisfaction with a job well-done. And when the inevitable oops happens, the reaction is also believable: eyes shut tight, mouth a downward bow, and tears…unless it was a purposeful "crash-boom." But Elephant is not one to give up easily, and they learn through play that one extra-long block, two rectangular blocks, four square blocks on their ends, and eight square blocks on their faces are all the same height. Chatterton's illustrations combine collaged-in photos of real wooden blocks; an expressive blue cartoon elephant with a purple shirt, dot eyes, and rosy cheeks; and basic backgrounds—either white space or a yellow wall and green carpet separated by a white baseboard. Unlike many other math titles, there is no note to parents or teachers and no directions to kids—it's just a simple tale of a child exploring with blocks. Elephant's pure joy in exploration and success are sure to be catching, so make sure the blocks are close at hand. (Picture book. 3-7)