toddlers

Review: Ah Ha! by Jeff Mack

| Tasha

ah ha

Ah ha! by Jeff Mack

A picture book told in just two letters and four words!  Frog is all set to have a relaxing day at the pond (AAHH) when a boy and his dog appear and scoop him into a jar (AH HA!)  But Frog escapes out into the pond once more and settles down on a rock.  It isn’t a rock and suddenly a hungry turtle is after Frog (AH HA!)  Frog escapes once again (AAHH) but finds himself being chomped at by an alligator (AH HA!)  Frog clings to a reed, except it isn’t a reed, it’s a bird’s leg and he has to escape once again.  Right into the boy’s jar.  (AH HA!)

With a similar feel to his Good News, Bad News picture book, Mack once again creates a book that is very cleverly done.  Despite being written with just a few words and two letters, this book tells a complete story that has a wonderful pacing.  With all of the wild predators that Frog faces, the book’s pages will turn quickly. 

Mack’s art is vibrant and colorful.  He draws in a large format that will work well when used with a group.  Even his words are large enough to be read by an audience.  The art has a friendly feel to it, cartoony and bright.

This one is ideal for new readers who are just starting out or for toddlers who will enjoy the fast pace and the shortness of the text.  It would also make a great inspiration for a writing challenge using only a few words to tell a complete story.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.

Review: I Am Blop! by Herve Tullet

| Tasha

i am blop

I Am Blop! by Herve Tullet

The author of Press Here returns with another simple and charming book.  Here the entire book is based around the shape of a “blop” which is something like a four-leafed clover, or a flower, or a butterfly.  With just a few words on each page, the youngest readers will discover a world of blops between these covers.  There are blops of different sizes, different colors, and they do a variety of things too.  Concepts are taught cleverly, such as mixing colors, what appears in a mirror, and opposites. 

While there are punch-out pages at the end of the book, this would still make a great pick for libraries to circulate.  I was particularly pleased with the mirror page and color mixing pages that add a special twist and fun to the book. 

Another great pick from Tullet, this book belongs in library collections and would make a great toddler read.  Expect to be drawing and seeing blops afterwards!  Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Wait! Wait! by Hatsue Nakawaki

| Tasha

wait wait

Wait! Wait! by Hatsue Nakawaki, illustrated by Komako Sakai

Translated from the Japanese, this little book is perfect for busy toddlers.  It follows some time in a toddler’s day when they move from one distraction to the next.  First, there is the butterfly fluttering past that won’t wait.  Then the lizard on the sidewalk slithers off without waiting.  Then come pigeons and next cats.  Finally, the little child is scooped up by a grown up and carried off on their shoulders with obvious delight.

This simple little book captures so nicely the speed of a toddler’s thoughts and the way that they can keep so busy with new discoveries in their day.  There is a wonderful gentleness to the book, where the animals and then the adult are just as much fun and intriguing as one another.  At the same time, there is a sense of discovery and awe as each new creature is found.

The text is very simple with the title repeated throughout and then one additional sentence added for each creature.  The illustrations shine.  They are wonderfully organic with textures while the colors remain subtle and natural. 

This book begs to be shared with one little child at a time, so that the animals can be identified and new discoveries of their own can be shared.  Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Reviewed from copy received from Enchanted Lion.

Review: Red Hat by Lita Judge

| Tasha

red hat

Red Hat by Lita Judge

This picture book is a companion to Red Sled.  It features that same red hat that was in the first book, but here it is no longer winter and the hat is washed and hung up to dry on the line.  That’s when it is spotted by an eager bear, who snatches it off the line and runs off with it.  But he is not alone, as he dashes, other animals pull and tug, freeing the white pompom and unraveling the bright red yarn as they play.  They leave the mass of yarn hung on the line in place of the hat!  But don’t worry, a happy ending can be knit from the most tangled yarn.

Told almost entirely in sounds rather than words, this book is filled with a wonderful silliness that makes it hard not to giggle from the first longing glance of the bear to the final pages where the animals are pretending innocence at what happened.  The center of the book is a wild chase scene as the hat unravels, adding a great rush of fast pacing into the story.

A great book, even better when read with the first one too.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: How to Be a Cat by Nikki McClure

| Tasha

how to be a cat

How to Be a Cat by Nikki McClure

Small Kitten follows the lead of Big Cat as they go through their day in this very simple picture book.  With just one word per page, the story is told more in the images than in the words.  The little kitten practices how to clean himself, how to hunt bugs and butterflies, and how to listen.  As the two of them explore the house and garden, the book shows a day filled with exploration and learning. 

Told through dynamic cut-paper art, this simple book has a powerful sense of style.  The images are black and white, cut from a single piece of paper with just a touch of blue at times.  Thanks to this, the images pop and would work well for sharing with groups of children.

Ideal for toddlers, this is a clear and beautiful look at feline fun.  Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Bella Loves Bunny and Ben Loves Bear by David McPhail

| Tasha

bella loves bunny ben loves bear

Bella Loves Bunny by David McPhail

Ben Loves Bear by David McPhail

A pair of charming board books from veteran author and illustrator McPhail, these casebound books closely echo picture book structure but have sturdy board pages that will stand up to toddler use.  The stories mirror each other, following the child from waking up for a day of play through to bedtime. 

Bella’s story feels more passive than Ben’s, but I think that is because Bunny is not depicted as energetically as Bear is.  Children who have favorite stuffed animals who accompany them throughout their day will find kindred spirits on these pages.  The stuffed animals are living and breathing here, the story filled with a quiet imagination.  As always, McPhail’s illustrations have a wonderful depth of color and fine lines.  They manage to be dreamy but realistic at the same time.

Good additions to library board book collections, these are books that are gentle and joyful.  Appropriate for ages 1-3.

Bella Loves Bunny was received from Abrams for review.  Ben Loves Bear was reviewed from library copy.

Review: Polar Bear Morning by Lauren Thompson

| Tasha

polar bear morning

Polar Bear Morning by Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Stephen Savage

Following the picture book Polar Bear Night, this second book continues the story of the little polar bear cub.  The cub wakes up and peeks out at the day and snow outside her warm den.  As she starts to explore, she discovers another little cub out playing too, sliding down a little snow hill.  The two of them immediately start playing together, running towards the sea and eventually jumping into the icy water side by side.  The two little friends end up together on an ice berg surrounded by family, seals and whales.

Perfect for toddlers, this book speaks to the speed at which small children can find playmates and make friends.  As the two polar cubs run together, they pass different arctic animals like seals, walrus, seagulls and whales.  The text is brief and clearly sets the story in the arctic, the cold, the ice and the warmth of friendship.

Savage once again has amazing illustrations that are filled with chunky shapes, deep textures and shading that makes it stand out.  My favorite page in the book has the two small cubs nose to nose, one with a plop of snow on his head. 

A nice morning read aloud, this book be a good fit with bear story times or wintry tales.  Appropriate for ages 1-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Scholastic Press.

Review: Flight 1-2-3 by Maria van Lieshout

| Tasha

flight 123

Flight 1-2-3 by Maria van Lieshout

Take a ride on a plane in this follow-up to Backseat A-B-See!  The trip begins with a cab ride to the airport and asks readers what they see.  There is 1 airport, 2 luggage carts, 3 check-in desks, and the book progresses to very large numbers, like 100 passengers and 33,000 feet.  Van Lieshout uses all of the official signage you see around the airport to inspire her art.  Those signs are on each page, right next to the numbers to help with counting.  The characters too have a graphic, sign-like quality to them, though the main family has its own quirks like yellow tennis shoes and hair in a black ponytail. 

With minimal text and art that is a playful look at official signage, this counting book will appeal to kids who love planes and also to those heading out on their first plane trip.  Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.

Review: Apple by Nikki McClure

| Tasha

apple

Apple by Nikki McClure

Follow the life stages of an apple from the time it falls from the tree, ripe and red, to its return to the soil.  Written in single words, the story is told primarily through the images that are done in exquisite cut paper.  In each image, red is used solely to illuminate the apple with the rest of the image in black and white.  This serves to not only highlight the apple as the focus, but also makes for a dynamic minimalist style.

The simplicity and minimalism really work here.  It is a stunning book both in the strength of the illustrations and the focus on life stages.  This is a book I would suggest for parents reading to infants, because it has that strong contrast of black, white and red that infants’ brains respond to.  Even better, it’s a book that adults will enjoy reading again and again.

Appropriate for ages 0-3.