Twelve Colorful Things is the charming story of two children who secretly set out to love their elderly neighbor through a year of gifts. The story reviews the twelve basic colors, twelve beginning numbers, and twelve months of the year. This story would have wide appeal to the preschool and early elementary school teacher as well as any parent eager to include a lesson in kindness to their child's bookshelf. Because the book follows several expected patterns and rhyme, the story makes for a fun and educational early reader book, as well. Twelve Colorful Things is an educational and fun to read story with a valuable life lesson. The words tied in with the illustrations make for an interactive reading experience--the readers see the secret response of the elderly woman unfold with each turn of a page. The ending is a well-deserved surprise for both the children in the book and the reader alike. +