Picture books for very young children are plentiful, but are they all worth your time? Most are, but these are especially fun, vivid and action-packed, and one contains a very important message.
"I am Bear" by Ben Bailey Smith and Sav Akyuz; Candlewick Press; 38 pages; $15.99.
There aren't that many children's books starring bare purple bears, but this one really makes up for lost time. Starting with a wham...a squirrel pointing to a hairless, bare-naked bear...Ben Bailey Smith's hilarious tale introduces Bear zipping up a suit of purple hair. Bear also attacks a honeycomb, eats a squirrel, does magic tricks with fish and steals a cop's donuts — not all usual bear activities. Mischievous and clumsy, our bear bangs cymbals and paints a bullseye on a friend's rear end.
His hijinks aren't even the best part of this silly tale. ("Do you like games? I do, too. Cops and robbers! That's my favorite. Doughnut's missing! Guess who ate it?"), The wacky, rhyming words and Sav Akyuz's technicolor angular illustrations add up to one very fun tale.
"Punk Skunks" by Trisha Speed Shaskan; illustrated by Stephen Shaskan; HarperCollins; 34 pages; $17.99.
Preschoolers often have friendships tiffs, just like the BSFs in this rockin' picture book. The best skunks forever are Kit and Buzz, who rock out every day on guitars, drums, skateboards and bikes. One day, the girl and boy buds can't agree on a new song — pink and white haired Kit wants to sing about skating, while green mohawked Buzz wants to sing a song about painting.
"Kit exploded. Buzz imploded," and they yelled, "You stink!" at one another. Each then tries to make music on his and her own, gives up, and visits the local "Mole Music" shop to sell back their instruments. It's here where they meet, make up, and try making beautiful music together once again.
A modern, cool take on friendship woes and getting along, "Punk Skunks" offers plenty for parents to take in, too. Background rock posters of "Shrewsie Shrew, Descendants, The Ham and the Ratmoans" offer a sly nod to the wonders of '80s punk.
"Where's the Elephant?" by Barroux; Candlewick Press; 28 pages; $14.99.
No need to pussyfoot around youngsters when environmental concerns come into play. In this incredibly clever book, Paris illustrator Barroux begins by asking readers, "Where's the elephant? Where's the parrot? Where's the snake?" and then hides them on the next page spread in an orange, green and yellow tropical forest. Tots can also spot the partially hidden creatures on the next few pages, even though the forest gets smaller as barren areas peppered with tree trunks widen. Soon, gray buildings, roads and cars start to overtake the lush, colorful forest, until the animals have only one tree to hide behind.
Though the forlorn elephant, parrot, snake and lone tree end up in a zoo in the midst of the buildings, they escape, carrying their tree, to a lakeside boat, full of hope and freedom once again.
Barroux explains at the back of the book how he's searched for ways to introduce kids to deforestation and finally found his inspiration. An important book that will open children's minds yet leave them hopeful, (the animals end up landing on a lush island), "Where's the Elephant?" is a special hide-and-seek book.
"The House that Zack Built" by Alison Murray; Candlewick; 28 pages; $16.99.
With retro, muted colors and artwork that looks like a 1950s storybook, Alison Murray creates a wholesome farm scene refreshing and stylish from page one. Starring Zack, building a block house, the story then takes on the classic rhyme, this time about a fly that "buzzed on by, over the house that Zack built." The fly keeps going till he upsets a dog that spills the cat's cream, past the lambs, calm and serene, and eventually causes a huge farm mess.
Zack knows just what to do — "He patted the dog who was trusty and true...collected more cream from Disney and then...herded the lambs back into their pen," and so on.
Murray's lovely read-along — nearly a sing-along, really — ends with a Zack blowing the fly away, while admiring his block creation — a lovely red barn. Truly a charmer!
"Peppa Pig and the Year of Family Fun" from Candlewick; 12 pages; $17.99.
The funny pink Peppa Pig is a star on TV and many picture books. Here she returns in a sturdy pop up book with her silly pig family, watering the garden, splashing in the pool, flying a kite and building a snowman. With flaps, sliding parts and all sorts of things for little hands to keep busy, this "Year of Family Fun" is a hoot.
To find out more about Lee Littlewood, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
View Comments