Available now from Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Review copy
This is the second Look for Ladybug picture books, but like many picture books of a similar type, you don't have to read them in any particular order. In this book, animal detectives Daisy and Bell lose their pet ladybug in Ocean City and look for her in all sorts of undersea landscapes.
Look for Ladybug in Ocean City is designed for younger children than Where's Waldo? or the I Spy books. The pages are less crowded, although there is still plenty to discover within the bright, inviting illustrations. There's five items to look for on every page, three items mentioned in the text on every page, and plenty of other things for children to spot on their own.
(There is one time where Ladybug is hidden in a corner, so be careful where you rest your hand on the page!)
My favorite spread was that covering "The Museum." On the gallery walls were fish versions of famous artworks. I found them hilarious! There are several jokes in the design that are likely to amuse an older reader who is challenging a child to look for Ladybug.
This is a very beautiful search and find book for children.
You can customize this book with the recipient's name, a dedication, and a hi-res photo. After the story, there is a cookie recipe (by Cookie Monster, natch) and a custom ornament that you can cut out and hang on your tree. You can double-check that everything is done right in the book builder engine before ordering your copy.
My comments about the quality of these books stand: The pages aren't as glossy as some, probably due to the custom printing,
but they are a nice weight. The bright colors print well. There's
plenty of white space in the name tags and dedications for longer
names. I also like that the name is used throughout the story, not just
on the cover.
Click to see full-size!
Grant is a total Sesame Street fiend, so I know that he'd love this book even if it weren't personalized to him. That's just an extra touch to make it a great gift. I'm excited to slide this book under the tree for him.
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‘Twas The Night Before Christmas on Sesame Street!
By Peter Sís
Available now from Scholastic Press
Review copy
Peter Sís is a three-time Caldecott Honoree and a Hans Christian Anderson Award Winner. ICE CREAM SUMMER makes it easy to see why his children's books are so celebrated.
The text is a letter from a boy to his grandpa, explaining all the fun things he's doing this summer. He's learning about math and maps, for instance. The illustrations deepen the text, and show how the boy is approaching his studies in more detail. Everything relates back to ice cream. How many scoops does he eat, and how many scoops does his dog eat? Which civilization ate ice cream first, and who invented the waffle cone (and why)?
ICE CREAM SUMMER is full of facts about everyone's favorite treat, presented in a breezy way. There are lots of layers for children to interact with on the level they're ready for. That is, kids who are learning addition and subtraction might be able to work the math problems on their own. Others might want to draw their own ice-cream map or read the smaller passages with more historical detail.
Sís' pictures not only add to the text, they're also appealing in their own right. He uses a dreamy and soft palette that echoes the colors of common ice creams, and the art has melty soft edges. Everything works together thematically. And who doesn't love ice cream? Even my lactose intolerant nephew likes the dairy-free frozen treats that he's allowed.
ICE CREAM SUMMER is a perfect treat of a children's book. It has a cute story, great pictures, and invites readers to explore further on their own.
When I saw the cover of FEET, GO TO SLEEP, I knew my niece would enjoy the book. The little girl wearing glasses and doing a headstand would definitely appeal to her. (My niece is currently working on her aerial and generally terrifying any adult in her vicinity.) It's also aimed right at my nephew's age group.
Barbara Bottner's text walks that little girl, Fiona, through going to sleep, body part by body part. Maggie Smith's images work well with the text. The book has a dual-image layout, where Fiona going to sleep is in a small box and the bigger image shows just how she used that body part on her seaside vacation. The text and illustrations work very well together.
One touch I particularly loved is that Fiona's cousins (who she chases with her legs) are black. It's a small detail that isn't commented on, but is appreciated. Children are great at picking over the details in picture books through multiple readings.
I'm sure any adult who reads kids to sleep is used to the cry of "One more book!" FEET, GO TO SLEEP makes for a good finish to bedtime reading. Fiona's method of going to sleep, bit by bit, is very helpful and soothing. (The details about how Fiona gets up to mischief during the day do keep the book from being a snore.) FEET, GO TO SLEEP is a good nighttime read.
By Sue Fliess
Illustrated by Mike Laughead
Available now from Two Lions (Amazon)
Review copy
This picture book celebrates going to the library. A young hippo girl and her dad go to their local library, where she tries to decide which stories to take home. The visuals are quite clever, especially the covers that refer to classic children's books and previous books with the same character.
One thing I loved is that her interests in stories aren't restricted to "girl" stories. She wants to read about pirates and trucks and superheroes too. It's a nice introduction for younger kids to the types of stories that are available, and they might enjoy seeing one of their favorites pop up on the page.
I think BOOKS FOR ME is best for younger kids before their first trip to the library. It might help them to know what to expect when they go. It might also be a fun choice for older little kids who really like to go to the library (like my niece and nephew). Since the focus is on the library, and not just books, it might've been nice to introduce storytime and crafts and other programs libraries offer for their younger patrons.
BOOKS FOR ME! is a fun rhyming book with bright illustrations. I doubt it will be one of those favorites that gets read over and over, but it is cute.
By Ben Hatke
Available now from First Second (Macmillan)
Review copy
Ben Hatke is known for the Zita the Spacegirl graphic novels, the third and final volume of which came out earlier this year. Now he is venturing into children's books with JULIA'S HOUSE FOR LOST CREATURES, and his skills transfer very well. His art is adorable and immensely appealing. The trolls and mermaids and dragons and patchwork kitties (lost creatures all) are absolutely adorable.
From Julia's House for Lost Creatures by Ben Hatke
There's a great deal of detail in the illustrations, perfect for kids who like to go over every page to point out every little thing. (Yes, that would be my niece and nephew.) I really think this helps add to the re-read value of JULIA'S HOUSE FOR LOST CREATURES.
The text itself is a short and sweet poem about Julia's house filling up with creature after creature and how she handles it. It's a good length for a bedtime story, and I think JULIA'S HOUSE FOR LOST CREATURES is perfect for reading aloud to a child. At the same time, it's simple enough to be a good text for really early readers.
If you're looking for a story with a walking house (that is too quiet), a lonely girl, and whimsical monsters, then JULIA'S HOUSE FOR LOST CREATURES is a real treat.
CRABTREE is the story of Alfred Crabtree, a man who has lost his teeth and much find them among the many things he owns. The summary reminded me of HARRY HOYLE'S GIANT JUMPING BEAN, one of my niece and nephew's favorites.
I'm glad I gave it a chance, because I loved CRABTREE and think it's perfect for the niece and nephew. The art took a few pages to grow on me, but it actually reminds me of children's drawings. The simplicity is somewhat deceptive, but it looks like line art slightly messily colored in by markers, which is very approachable. And I love how much there is to look at on every page. I'm sure after having to go through the book discussing what everything is multiple times I'll love it less.
One of the best touches is the labels marking what each object is. Some are straightforward, like a gold hat labeled "golf." Others are more whimsical, like the chef's hat labeled "I cook only scrambled eggs in this hat." It adds a lot of extra interest. Plus, the dustcover unfolds into a giant poster. A giant poster chock full of objects to find and name. It's a little bit of I SPY with an actual narrative.
And the story, while simple, does have a decent lesson. I mean, children's books don't have to have lessons, but it's got some decent basic life advice. When you lose things, go through your belongings bit by bit, organizing and putting away things that aren't the object you're looking for. You'll find it eventually.
I think CRABTREE is a book many adults will enjoy reading with kids. It's a format that's appealing to kids and provides new excitement and discoveries upon rereads. (It's also good for counting and colors!) I think there's enough humor to keep the adults entertained through several readings. I really like this one.
By Shaun Tan
Available now from Arthur A. Levine (Scholastic)
Review copy Lost and Found: Three by Shaun Tan is a beautiful book. Tan's paintings vary in style, but all of them are full of interesting details. (Okay, not all of them are even paintings. There are collages, for instance.) I've noticed different things in the images everytime I've opened the book. The images stand well on their own, without the accompaniment of text.
The first story in this omnibus is "The Red Tree." This one has the most experimental art; sometimes the style changes between pages. "The Red Tree" gets quite dark, which could make it unappealing to younger children. There aren't many words, but the typography interacts with the pictures in interesting ways. The words are mostly unimportant to "The Red Tree." It's less of a story than a progression through the tone of a story, with misery gripping ever tighter then eventually giving way to hope. "The Red Tree" was my least favorite of the three, but only because the other two are such strong stories.
"Without sense or reason," Shaun Tan (2001)
Next is "The Lost Thing." I loved the scrapbook style layout of this story. The narrator collects bottle caps and it seems like a fitting layout to express his personality. I also loved the bits of type included in the borders that sometimes show up in the middle of the page. This story would be good to read to a younger child before bed or for an older child (first grade or so) to read by his or herself. While it is far more conventional than "The Red Tree," it still has a distinctive style. This one was definitely my favorite, both for the humor and the sweetness. (Note: Shaun Tan just one an Oscar for the animated version of "The Lost Thing.")
The final story, "The Rabbits," was written by John Marsden (author of the Tommorrow series). This one is definitely for elementary aged children. It's an allegory of the British colonization of Australia from the point of view of the Aborigines. It's well-told and worth discussing with older children, but toddlers are more likely to be upset by the unhappy ending. Picture book does not necessarily mean children's book. The stylized profile of the rabbits did make for some incredible paintings, and Tan makes excellent use of negative space.
I think LOST AND FOUND is a good choice for families. The adults will enjoy the story and art as much as the kids. In fact, some adults will enjoy it even without the kids.
