A hot air balloon is the setting for a sky-high counting excursion in We All Go Flying by Maggee Spicer and Richard Thompson, illus. by Kim LaFave, the follow-up to We'll All Go Sailing, which focused on colors and sea animals. """"We'll all go flying/ In the jungle sky,/ And what will we spy/ In the sky so high?"""" The answer appears behind a flap: """"Six pea green parrots/ And a loud toucan!/ That's what we'll spy/ in the jungle sky."""" (Sept.)

PreS-K-Spicer and Thompson have teamed up for another "We'll All Go" picture book. This time the three young explorers, who look as if they could easily fit into a Tin-Tin or Popeye comic strip, take to the sky in a bright red, hot-air balloon. They spy helicopters, lightning bolts, hawks, kites, bats, and owls partially hidden behind flaps and boldly outlined in black against the backdrop of an ever-changing, colorful sky. In addition to being a counting book, the simple, descriptive verse covers lots of ground and a number of concepts in few words; it identifies colors, shapes, habitats, animals, sounds, and more in a natural and unassuming manner. LaFave's illustrations provide a vibrant world for Maggee, Jesse, and the unnamed narrator to explore. The story concludes with the end of a journey and the promise of another. Children will be content to hear this tale over and over as they await the next installment in the series.-Carol L. MacKay, Camrose Public Library, Alberta, Canada