Out On the Prairie
A nice cross between a concept book (numbers 1-10), a rhyming book, and an informational text, the illustrations outshine the text. Impressionistic use of textures and color bring each animal to life. The full-spread illustrations for numbers one through ten give way to a more informational style at the end of the book, where a paragraph of information is accompanied by a new picture of each item of flora and fauna. I enjoyed the topical focus on the high plains, and Bateman did very well with the cadence and rhythm for the rhyming text--this is something we don't see done well very often.