Who's Hiding? Sebastien Braun

 

 

Who is peeking out from under the leaves? Who's behind the watering can? What's in back of the flowerpot? A cast of multicultural babies discover critters that wiggle, crawl, hop, and delight--right in their own backyards.

Who's hiding behind the gate?
(under the flap) Puppy!

I enjoyed the fact that the illustrations offer hints of what will be behind the flap. And the large, easy-to-lift flaps are especially well-shaped.

Sebastien Braun is the author-illustrator of the companion book Peekaboo Baby. He studied fine arts at the University of Strasbourg, France, and now lives in London. 

Who's Hiding?
author/illustrator: Sebastien Braun
Candlewick Press
http://www.candlewick.com 
2011

Photo Friday: Dads Read

Let's hear it for the dads who love to read to their totz. And with their totz. Happy Photo Friday! Image from Pinterest.

Colors and Opposites: Xavier Deneux

It's so lovely to see concept books presented in a fresh way. Xavier Deneux has achieved that with Colors and Opposites, touch/think/learn. With carefully designed cutouts he shows color. A raised brown bear walks from the right hand of the spread, leaving his cutout behind, now filled with brown leaves. A white raised cat stands opposite her cutout of a black cat.

Opposites is wider in representation. A raised cat atop a ladder illustrates High, while in the opposite cutout a mole shows Low. A Heavy raised elephant is opposite of a cutout Light cloud.

The tag on the series which includes Numbers and Shapes as well is: To touch is to experience. To experience is to learn. There is a choking hazard for children under 3 due to the small pieces. Otherwise, the work is a visual delight.

Colors
Opposites
by Xavier Deneux
Handprint Book, Chronicle, 2013

The Bus Driver: Todd H. Doodler

The Bus Driver is a counting board book that takes us through a bus driver's typical daily route. We start with:

1 One bus driver started his day all alone.
2 Then he picked up two chatty girls talking on the phone.

We count up to 10, and then down again as passengers who got on the bus get off again.

A simple, but clever concept.

The Bus Driver
Author-illustrator: Todd H. Doodler (Todd Harris Goldman)
Robin Corey Books www.randomhouse.com/kids
2013 

Big Kid Pick: The Dinosaur Tooth Fairy by Martha Brockenbrough

The Dinosaur Tooth Fairy spends her time polishing her collection of teeth. She has one form a spinosaurus, a gigantosaurs, and a duck-billed Hadrosaur.

Those were good days for a Dinosaur Tooth Fairy.
The world was hot, the teeth were huge,
and the tiny dinies made her happy.

But now the Dinosaur Tooth Fairy lives in the museum, alone, alone, ALONE! Along comes class on a field trip, and a little girl loses her tooth while in the museum. The DTF wants it! However, so does someone else -- a rival Tooth Fairy! How will they work this out?

An adorable, fun, romp with plenty of trademark Martha Brockenbrough humor and adorable art!

Martha Brockenbrough is the celebrated author of the YA novel, Devine Intervention; a social media diva for readergirlz (our big sister site); and the founder of National Grammar Day.

The Dinosaur Tooth Fairy
Author: Martha Brockenbrough
Illustrator: Israel Sanchez
Arthur A. Levine Books / Scholastic
July 2013

Not That Tutu! Michelle Sinclair Colman

Taylor loved her tutu.
She wore it everywhere.

She wears it to school (with cowboy boots), swimming, and playing. And everyone who sees her in her tutu says: Not again!
 
One day, she voluntarily gives up her tutu in favor of . . . bunny slippers!

A cute book by the author of the "Babies Wear" board book series, illustrated by one of my favorite artists.

Not That Tutu!
Author: Michelle Sinclair Colman
Illustrator: Hiroe Nakata
Robin Corey Books
www.randomhouse.com/kids
2013

Diggers Go: Steve Light

Steve Light has a knack for bringing locomotion to life. In an elongated board book, Diggers Go, Light brings sound and loose, energetic line to the construction site.

"The excavator goes,
CHUMMA CHUMMA CHUMMA HUFFT HUFFT FALUMP"

Excitement builds to the closing spread of the wrecking ball. Totz who love large machinery will engage in this sound driven delight. Look for Trucks Go and Trains Go, as well.

Diggers Go
by Steve Light
Chronicle Books, 2013

Poetry Friday: Around the Block with Sesame Street, Rocking It with Ernie

Enjoy!

Snow Rabbit, Spring: By Il Sung Na

South Korean author-illustrator Ill Sung Na has created a gorgeous, sweet board book! (Also in hardcover picture book.)

What do the animals do when the snow falls to the ground and all the trees are bare?  Some fly long distances, while some swim to warmer waters. 

But when the snow has melted
and the trees are in bloom . . .
everyone knows it's spring!

Other amazing books by Il Sung Na include The Book of Sleep (adorable app) and Hide and Seek.

Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit
Author-illustrator: Il Sung Na 
Alfred A. Knopf, Random House
www.randomhouse.com/kids  
2011

Photo Friday: It's All Black and White

Happy Photo Friday! The beautiful image is from Pinterest.

Farm: James Brown

How about a most traditional board book for this week? James Brown, former textile designer, offers a beautiful rendition of animals in his work, Farm.

With raised ink, Brown depicts a single animal on the right with an accompanying collage of the animal on the left. There's a vague hint of Escher, actually. The lino cut paper texture is wonderfully caught in the illustrations.

The visual appeal of Farm is high and will attract your tiniest totz as well as those a bit older, learning about farm animals.

Farm
by James Brown
Candlewick Press, 2013

Photo Friday: The Giving Tree Baby

Happy Photo Friday! Sweet image is from Pinterest.

MA! There's Nothing to Do Here! Barbara Park

MA! There's Nothing to Do Here! is an adorable board book by one of my favorite authors, Barbara Park.

The lead character is a baby with personality--before he's even born. He wants to play on the swingset and monkey bars. He wants to make friends. He wants hair! 

There's nothing to see here!
Not one scrawny tree here!
No puppies. No toys.
No girls . . . zero boys.

This baby is flat out bored in the womb, but he's far from boring. You'll enjoy reading his thoughts on what he'll do to pass the time.

Sure to please totz with a sibling on the way. And a great idea for baby showers.

Barbara Park is the author of the bestselling Junie B. Jones books and many other favorites!
Viviana Carofoli was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  

MA! There's Nothing to Do Here!
Author: Barbara Park
Illustrator: Viviana Carofoli
www.randomhouse.com/kids 
2013

Good Morning, Sunshine: Sandra Magsamen

I've had this book out on the table to review, and I found the art alone just so cheerful. How can you not be encouraged by the title, Good Morning, Sunshine?

This lift-the-flap, in celebration of a good breakfast, will get your totz hungering for eggs and toast and another read, for certain. One can flip the egg, squeeze the juice, and remove the toast to put "a big smile in your belly." The last page opens vertically into a large quadruple spread. You are going to have to smile back at the eggs and toast smiling at you.



Sandra Magsamen's text and art are full of life and energy through simplicity and a beautiful palette. Gold foil on the cover will catch your eye when you set out to find this work.

Joan and I wish you and your totz a good morning, sunshine!

Good Morning, Sunshine
by Sandra Magsamen
Cartwheel Books, Scholastic, 2013

Photo Friday: Bookish Tot

So sweet from Pinterest. Happy Photo Friday!

My Turtle and Me: Owen Bernstein

With a light up turtle in the corner of this board book, your totz will hug this work when they drift off to sleep. In My Turtle and Me, author Owen Bernstein shares a young boy's story of his love for his turtle. The two go everywhere together: to the playground, to the dinner table, and in the car. Life brightens when shared with a beloved pet.

Carol Thompson's art feels like a great cross between Helen Oxenbury and John Burningham. The board book is based on the bestseller Twilight Turtle, by Cloud B, the baby sleep specialists. Find this work and you'll find the turtle irresistible.

My Turtle and Me
by Owen Bernstein
illustrated by Carol Thompson
Scholastic, Cartwheel Books, 2012

Photo Friday: Totz Mobile

A readertotz mobile, right? This was pinned by my favorite Malu at Pinterest. Happy Photo Friday!

Faces For Baby: Yana Peel

Subtitled as Twelve More Works by Famous Artists to Explore with Your Child, Faces for Baby is the follow-up to the book, Art for Baby. Each page in this elegant, oversized board book showcases one face. Since faces are said to be some of the images babies are first able to recognize, the book's creator features a multicultural variety of faces by some of the best-known contemporary artists, including Paul Klee, Hideaki Kawashima, and Pablo Picasso. And what fun, on the final page, your totz will see their face in the big round mylar mirror.

Yana Peel co-founded the Outset Contemporary Art Fund in 2003 and is a patron of the Asia Art Archive. She lives in Hong Kong, China.

Faces for Baby
Author: Yana Peel
Illustrators: Various

http://www.candlewick.com, Templar Books 

2013

Poetry Friday: Around the Block with Ernie

Go ahead and let out a little hissssssssssssss, for Poetry Friday!

My Mom is the Best Circus: Luciana Navarro Powell

This book, in celebration of a mother, can endure past Mother's Day and be enjoyed every day of the year. Don't totz see their mom as a one-woman circus show? She's definitely the ringmaster; she juggles everything in their lives and is quite the conductor.

Luciana Navarro Powell's take on Moms and their abilities will stretch young readers' minds to see metaphor. An acrobat, a clown, a strongwoman: all are illustrated in full spreads in this delightful board book.

Find it for your totz and turn into...the sandman show.


My Mom is the Best Circus
by Luciana Navarro Powell
Robin Corey Books, 2013