Lots of Dots, by Craig Frazier (ages 2 - 6) and a fun art gift

Some books just radiate with energy and smiles. Lots of Dots, by Craig Frazier, is such a fun, bright book that it just makes kids (and adults!) want to create their own artwork. For a fun gift for preschoolers, I'd pair Lots of Dots with a set of dot stampers for hours of fun.

Lots of Dots
by Craig Frazier
SF: Chronicle Books, 2010
ages 2 - 6
available on Amazon and at your local library

This playful book grabs your attention from the very beginning, with its joyful cover and wonderfully colorful endpapers. Bold silhouetted figures encounter dots in all shapes and sizes, in all sorts of places and things. The figures are in bright single colors, with happy smiles. They see dots in everything from drums to gumballs, balloons to buttons.

Some dots are big.
Some dots are small.
Some dots float
and some dots fall.

This fun, simple rhyming text even inspires young readers to try their own. Terry, from the Reading Tub, writes about how her daughter copied down the words of the book, word by word, so she could bring the poem to her class to share. What fun she must have had, looking at the words and imaging the dots they were describing. I can see doing the same thing with the dots - reading this story and making your own dot pictures. Here are some samples of the fun artwork Frazier designed:

Frazier's illustrations have a modern feel to them, with their bright colors, clean outlines and uncluttered, crisp white background. Craig Frazier is an award-winning graphic designer whose illustrations have appeared in the New York Times, Time magazine, and the Wall Street Journal.

Pair this with a set of dot stampers, perfect for young children to create their own designs and artwork. Do-A-Dot makes two sets, a rainbow set and a brilliant set. Choose which one suites your pallette and have fun!


For other reviews, check out Good Books for Kids, Kids Lit and the Reading Tub's blog Scrub-a-Dub-Tub Thanks to Good Books for Kids for the great idea of sharing the text in these fun colors! The review copy was kindly sent by the publishers. If you make a purchase on Amazon using the links on this site, a small portion will go to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you). Thank you for your support!