This is an old-school book but it’s still a great one! My son was hanging on every word to find out what happened at the end. Would Mike and Mary Ann be able to complete the foundational hole in time?
Even my daughter was glued.
Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
I can not express my love for the Pigeon series of books by Mo Willems. These books are so fun and interactive for the kids. They love talking and answering the book as I read it out loud.
The illustrations are simple but specific. It’s crisp and dynamic without using bold colors.
Plus, the book designer really knows how to space out the pages with the illustrations and text. It doesn’t feel crowded or forced. Everything is exactly where it needs to be to deliver the content. It’s really a fantastic book, not only to read, but also to learn some design principles.
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems.
Being totally honest here…this was not one of my favorite books so far…but my daughter loved it. She had so much fun going through each page and assessing the happy, sad, angry, grumpy faces. It’s a clever, if not a little odd, concept to shape fruit and vegetables into personalities.
Check it out and let me know what you ( or your child) think!
How are you Peeling? by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers.
Oh Olivia. Olivia!
Olivia books are a definite favorite in our house. We have the original, losing a toy, goes to Venice, etc. It goes on and on yet they never disappoint. And have you seen they have an Olivia show on Amazon Prime. You can watch for free!!! It is a hoot.
The Olivia books are marvelously crafted, from the writing, wit, and illustration. If you don’t have one of these books in your library…start today!
Today’s Photo Book Design Tip comes from:
Olivia by Ian Falconer.
Oh, this was a great one!
Miss Nelson Is Missing! Written by Harry G Allard Jr and illustrated by James Marshall.
My son understood the trick Ms. Nelson played on her class before the end of the book. I just love seeing little kids’ minds work as a book is being read. This part-detective, part-mind-the-rules book was a definitely a favorite. We’ll be reading more in this series!
In the adorable children’s book, Hurry! Hurry! by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Jeff Mack, a rooster calls all farm animals to join to greet a new friend to the farm.
And my design tip for you is an easy one if you have a children who love to tell stories…or better yet…jokes!
My design tip for today comes from Suzanne Bloom’s A Splendid Friend, Indeed.
This book is a great one for young kids who are very sleepy before bed but want to read one quick story before the lights go out.
I like reading this book to my kids for it’s design simplicity and use of strong colors. But today’s tip, deals with how to isolate your subject when using a photo in a spread.
This week’s design tip from a children’s book is a little more complicated unless you use InDesign (or a whiz with Photoshop or Illustrator). But….I’m guessing there are a few online programs that make this tip possible.
The next children’s book all kindergartner’s should read is In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming.
And here’s the design tip!
