The 1, 2, 3s of adulthood differ ever so slightly from the popular grade-school primers of yesteryear inside Ross and Kathryn Petras's 1, 2, Can't Reach My Shoe. This clever counting book for the middle-aged (which the United States Census Bureau defines as age 35 and above) is perfect for readers of a certain vintage who intend to grow old gracefully--and with a sense of humor.

Featuring full-color, retro illustrations in a playful board book format, 1, 2, Can't Reach My Shoe makes an excellent, humorous gift for the more than 78.2 million baby boomers in the United States. Consider:

* 3: When they were first going out in their twenties, Thaddeus and Theresa used to have sex THREE times each day. Now that they are middle-aged, they still have sex THREE times. A year.

*<, >: Hey, those don't look like numbers! And you're right. They are not numbers. They are symbols that are used with numbers . . . and they are all over middle-aged Milton's doctor's report. "It says I should have a total cholesterol <200. I should have HDL >60. I should have LDL <129 . . ." Gee Milton, that is a lot of "more thans" and "less thans." "I know," says Milton. "I'm < thrilled!"

* 59 1/2: Today is a great day! It is Carl's FIFTY-NINTH-AND-A-HALF birthday! Carl usually wouldn't celebrate a half birthday, but this one is different. Since he has turned FIFTY-NINE-AND-A-HALF, he is getting a nice present from his Uncle Sam: his very first penalty-free IRA distribution!