Preschool books cool enough for adults
It’s pretty nice that many children’s book creators have figured out that they can make books to please the palates of both kids and parents. These new books for tots and preschoolers are witty, creative, smart and zesty.
“Triangle” by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen; Candlewick Press; 46 pages; $15.99.
The first in the dynamic duo’s new trilogy about shapes is “Triangle,” a mesh of smaller picture book and big board book in a unique size perfect for small hands. The star of the tale is Triangle, who has expressive eyes and two stick legs. He heads out of his triangleshaped house to play a sneaky trick on Square. On the way, all the triangle-shaped trees and hills slowly turn to square-shaped. He pretends to hiss like a snake, which scares Snake. Square then retaliates and chases Triangle back to his triangle house but becomes stuck in the doorway when he tries to enter. This makes Triangle’s house dark, and that frightens Triangle.
“Triangle” is simple yet incredibly witty and fun. It is a wry, cool look at friendship, with hip, sparse illustrations that’ll please all ages.
“When Your Lion Needs a Bath” and “When Your Elephant Has the Sniffles” by Susanna Leonard Hill; illustrated by Daniel Wiseman; Little Simon/Simon & Schuster; 24 pages and $7.99 each.
Susanna Leonard Hill’s board books have enough sophisticated, funny text to constitute real stories. They tell of two funny predicaments tots and adults will appreciate. What do you do when your elephant has the sniffles? And how would you get your lion into the bathtub when he’s smelly? The boy with the lion tries all the tricks, from a wind-up mouse to some yarn (after all, lions are big cats), and he finally relies on a fishing pole with feather to lure him. Problem is, he immediately runs outside and gets dirty again.
The little girl tries everything to make her blue elephant feel better when he has the sniffles, from extra pillows to ice pops to playing shadow puppets. Ultimately, in an effort to entertain him, her feather boa sets them both off with sneezing and sniffling. They rest up in bed together.
Hill’s stories show kids how, even after creative solutions and hard work, plans sometimes go awry, but the importance of humor and perseverance is key. Daniel Wiseman’s hilarious illustrations make both books smart and appealing.
“Pizza: An Interactive Recipe Book” by Lotta Nieminen; Phaidon; 16 pages; $14.95.
This interactive, paper engineering-filled board book follows a real recipe, though it’s definitely not a cookbook. Each spread provides hands-on instructions for “cooking” pizza. Kids ages 2 to 4 can pull a tab to shake salt, turn a dial for the oven, spin a wheel to spread tomato sauce and even slice and remove a piece of pizza — but don’t eat it!
As the follow-up to the popular “Pancakes,” “Pizza” should encourage preschoolers and parents to cook together. Kids may even learn to take interest in cooking and helping in the kitchen. “Pizza” is incredibly sturdy and innovative and fun for hours.