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March 06, 2010
Board Books I Like, with Concepts and Character
As a matter of self-protection, I have extremely low expectations when an author takes an established picture book character and moves him or her into board books. So often these books are either capitalizing on character recognition to make some easy cash (which, as I have often said, the nanosecond I have the opportunity to sell out and ensure that I will not spend my golden years living in a cardboard box under a highway overpass, I will gladly do so) or that the writing isn’t right for the intended board book audience (children from birth through the age of about three).
Bow-Wow Hears Things by Mark Newgarden and Megan Montague Cash is an example of an author successfully navigating this transition. You could make the argument that Bow-Wow is not an established character, since he’s only had the one picture book, but Bow-Wow Bugs a Bug was striking enough to establish Bow-Wow in my mind, so we’re going to roll with that one. In Bow-Wow Hears Things, Bow-Wow is facing a little chick. The chick makes various non-chick-like noises, and Bow-Wow keeps saying, “No.” In the end, the chick peeps and Bow-Wow barks, and the book is over. This is nice—a simple, concrete storyline with repetitive elements. Bow-Wow’s books have a very spare aesthetic, with exactly the kind of art I look for in a board book. The characters themselves are drawn with thick lines filled in with solid colors. Bow-Wow’s emotions (surprise and annoyance) are effectively conveyed through one curved eyebrow, and the characters and text are all that appear on each page. Eye-catching, short, and even a little funny.
Olivia’s Opposites by Ian Falconer is another example of a picture book character working in the board book format. Falconer uses thin, fine lines in his illustrations, so babies will have a hard time making them out, but what will interest their eyes are those red dashes of color here and there. The book is very much a concept book—opposites illustrated—but Falconer handles it with his typical flair (you really need to see the illustrations for “quiet” and “loud” to see what I mean), making for a book that will amuse adults as well as children.
Skippyjon Jones Color Crazy by Judy Schachner is my favorite of the bunch. It follows the intrepid and much-beloved Skippyjon as he draws a picture utilizing a number of surprising color choices—pink for the sky, yellow for the grass—and, in the end, he colors himself, all rainbow-like. What I love best about this book is that it in no way acknowledges that Skippyjon is using an unconventional color scheme. Schachner is slyly making a point about creativity and freedom to her child and adult listeners that I have to love. Babies who enjoy this book will like it for its cute little kitty and bright colors, toddlers can use it as a way to start helping them learn their colors (and other vocabulary, like some nouns and numbers), and older toddlers who are more solid on their colors will catch on to what Skippyjon is up to and think it’s funny. Heck, *I* laugh every time I read this book. Rock on, Skippyjon.
Posted by adrienne at March 6, 2010 10:11 AM
Comments
My 4 year old loves SkippyJon Jones. I'll have to look for this one at our library.
Posted by: Kerri at March 6, 2010 12:00 PM
I love Skippyjon, too. I even have a little stuffed animal of him.
Posted by: adrienne at March 6, 2010 05:53 PM
Clip Clop by Nicola Smee is a delightful book. Never fails. I'm a children's librarian and I read it for 3 and 4 year olds. I notice that it's been published as a board book now.
Thanks for all of your ideas for storytime.
Ann
Posted by: Ann Harris at March 22, 2010 10:01 PM
Thanks, Ann! Clip Clop is a favorite of mine, too, although I haven't read it in a while. I have to dig it out again for our next storytime sessions.
Posted by: adrienne at March 23, 2010 12:19 AM