Day: September 26, 2011

Review: Questions, Questions by Marcus Pfister

| Tasha

questions questions

Questions, Questions by Marcus Pfister

This colorful book asks question after poetic question about our world.  The questions range in subject, but are all simply and beautifully written:

What makes fire burn red and gold

and makes it much too hot to hold?

and

Does a whale make up a song

so other whales will sing along?

Told in gentle verse, the book celebrates life, including whales, fish, seeds, butterflies and much more.  The simplicity and tenderness of this book make it exceptional.

Pfister’s art work is done with a different technique here.  He explains it in an author’s note at the end of the book.  He transferred his drawing to cardboard and then used the cut outs to stamp with acrylic paints.  The result are intriguingly textured illustrations that are bold and colorful.  On each page there is also a foil element, though I find the illustrations themselves to be far more interesting.

A lovely poetic book that is worth sharing, it is appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

A Couple of Fall Board Books

| Tasha

go baby go

Go Baby Go! by Marilyn Janovitz

As baby gets fussy, they head out to the garden where baby is distracted by all sorts of things.  The bubbles going pop, pop, pop.  The blocks tumbling down and clickity clacking.  There are mud pies, water from the hose, even treats to munch.  Then everything gets quiet as baby falls asleep.

This charmer of the picture book has a jaunty rhythm mixed with plenty of repetition to catch the attention of very small children.  Everything that happens here is what a child would find in their own backyard, making the book all the more interesting to children who will see themselves in it.

scariest thing in the castle

I’m the Scariest Thing in the Castle by Kevin Sherry

This board book has the same colorful, bold artwork as Sherry’s previous picture books.  Here his creature is a merry bat who declares himself scarier than all of the other monsters in the haunted castle.  And he does manage to play pranks and frighten all of the others, until the lights go out. 

This jolly Halloween board book will appeal to small children with its bright colors, humor and the not-very-scary tone.