Where's Boo? Salina Yoon

So great to share another fun Salina Yoon title. Where's Boo? takes us right into October.

With a curved cut-out, revealing the shape of a black tail, the reader is asked if Boo the cat is hiding behind the jack-o-lantern, the cookie jar, or the broom. In each case, he isn't. Boo is waiting behind the door at the conclusion of the book to say Trick-or-treat.

The anticipation, puzzles, and bright colors will capture your totz' attention. Look for Boo this month!

Where's Boo?
by Salina Yoon
Random House, 2013

It's Christmas Time: Salina Yoon

We've turned the Thanksgiving corner and many are anticipating Christmas. It's Christmas Time! is a clever addition to holiday books for readertotz.

Author Salina Yoon calls this book a Slide and Play. Out of the cover slides a purple panel which is not fully removeable. However, within the panel are foil circles which little fingers can remove. In the above illustration, the flat dots of color really are the foil circles.

On the following pages, these then can be added to a snowman or wreath. They can be popped out and inserted into a gingerbread house, used to decorate cookies, or shining wrapping paper. Finally, of course, they can be added to the full spread of the Christmas tree. The accompanying text walks us through these seasonal activities. It ends with the sweet:

"The Christmas tree is trimmed with lights.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

The flat illustrations with bold color are fun and appropriate. Your totz will be challenged to see the circle shape as various objects while their excitement grows for the Christmas celebration.

It's Christmas Time!
by Salina Yoon
additional illustrations by Angela Navarra
design by Pamela Notarantonio
Scholastic, 2010

Rock & Roll Shapes: Salina Yoon

I love the sound this book makes. When you tilt the pages, a foil circle zips through a series of 5 windows, showcasing various shapes, such as a triangle, square, etc. It's hard to decide whether this is more 'toy' or more 'book'. But whichever you decide, it's clever and totz will love it. Very sturdy with a handle little hands can clutch, so they can carry this everywhere.
A-dor-a-ble!

There's a companion book called Rock & Roll Colors, which I haven't yet seen up close.

author-illustrator: Salina Yoon
publisher: Scholastic (Cartwheel) 2010

Wings by Salina Yoon

I'm so happy to feature Wings by Salina Yoon. As the cover notes, it's a book to touch and feel. And it's adorable!

Taking a look at various wings, Salina asks what kind do different birds and insects have. What kind for bumblebees, ducklings, ladybugs, and more.

Each question is answered with a different color as well as a texture insert: shimmery pink butterfly wings, glistening green hummingbird wings.

Salina's illustrations have a thick, varied-width black outline and flat color spaces. Every other spread carries lighter value polka dots in the background. So cute to mimic the ladybug on the cover. She herself has wings which open and close.

Find Wings for your totz. It will be enjoyed! Then check out Salina's Phototoz entry here.

Wings
by Salina Yoon
Little Simon

Phototoz: Salina Yoon

Give a shout out to Salina Yoon, board book and picture book author/illustrator. Recently, I accurately called her the master of the novelty book. This is her passport photo from when she entered the U.S.A. from Korea. So adorable!

And here's one of her latest board books that we'll be reviewing soon, I'm sure. I can't resist opening and closing those ladybug wings.

Thanks for playing, Salina!

If you are an author or illustrator for children or teens and would like to participate in Photototz, send in your photo and latest book cover to readertotzatclearwiredotnet

Show us your smile!

Zoo and Toys by Salina Yoon

Salina Yoon could very well be the master of the novelty book. Check out these two she created for Little Scholastic. I, myself, was excited to discover the surprises!

Picture four spreads that introduce colors. Each has an integrated, removable piece with a color and word of a color printed on it. Those in Toys are foil. In Zoo, the colors have a plush texture to match the plush lion on the cover.

After red, yellow, blue, and green are introduced in Toys, the final spread shows all the colors at once, colorful blocks. Orange, gray, brown, and black in Zoo, end with a colorful peacock. Now, take the colored pieces you removed, flip them over and construct a puzzle that duplicates the last spread. So smart!

One to two year old totz, will enjoy Salina's flat shapes that pop with intense color. Two to three year olds can solve the puzzles. These books will be engaging for years. Check them out!

Zoo and Toys
by Salina Yoon
Little Scholastic, 2010

St. Patrick’s Day Countdown: Salina Yoon

Countdown from 5 to 1 with the forest friends in this shimmery board book. Five bright green holographic fabric-like shamrock tabs make it especially easy for totz to grab and turn the pages in this book. And it seems sturdy enough to hold up under repeated grabbing. It's a simple, lively, rhyming introduction to St Patrick's Day, and with bunnies, shamrocks, and a pot of gold, it captures the spirit of day.

Salina Yoon is the talented and prolific author-illustrator of numerous books for totz. Also in this five-tab series: Five Silly Turkeys.

More St. Patrick's Day books for the young and green-minded:
The Night Before St. Patrick's Day (8x8, Price Stern Sloan) Natasha Wing
Hooray for St. Patrick’s Day (Lift-the-flap; Puffin) by Joan Holub and Paul Meisel
St. Patrick’s Day in the Morning (Sandpiper) by Eve Bunting and Jan Brett



St. Patrick's Day Countdown
Author-illustrator: Salina Yoon
Price Stern Sloan, 2006

Salina Yoon: Find My Feet

In this interactive board book, totz can spin a wheel to match a duck, cow, pig, cat, frog, and horse to their feet. Small hands will find it easy to grasp and turn the wheel, and doing so is pretty much irresistible. This is a great concept that's perfect for younger totz. The colors offer clues--the pink pig matches the pink pig feet--but totz will enjoy the silliness of mixing up the feet as well. This book is brilliant in its simplicity.

Salina Yoon is a prolific author-illustrator of novelty, board, and picture books. She has an adorable website at http://www.salinayoon.com that showcases her titles nicely. I was interested to learn that she was born in Korea and shares a birthday with Albert Einstein.

Find My Feet
Author-illustrator: Salina Yoon
Random House, Robin Corey Books, 2009