BAREFOOT BOOKS SO MANY THINGS

The title says it all: Several hundreds of things are on display here, divided into 17 categories, among them “School Time,” “Sports and Recreation,” and “Household Items.” Each section of this Chilean import contains 30 to 40 items over one or two double-page spreads. Hanisch’s mixed-media depictions are clear, simple, and immensely appealing, each object or animal neatly labeled in an accessible serif font. Individual drawings nestle together, inviting close browsing, and a few conversation-sparking questions accompany every category: “So many ways to travel! Which is fastest? Which is slowest?” Diversity of experience is acknowledged; the “Meal Time” section includes paella, sushi, ceviche, and a cheese board, while a mosque, a synagogue, a church, and a Buddhist temple appear “In the City.” There’s some overlap among the hundreds of items: An all-purpose “flower” appears “In the Garden,” while the colorful section “Flowers” offers many more varieties, such as a tiger lily, a rose, and a sunflower. And a generic “shark” appears “At the Beach,” while a “whale shark” can be found among the sampling of ocean dwellers in the “Animal World.” Some things are nonspecific (“owl,” for instance, in “Birds”), while others are identified in more detail (Magellanic penguin). Rather than providing a comprehensive visual dictionary, Hanisch offers a charming quick take on a lot of, well, things in this browsable, relatable catalog.