Vintage Book Review - The first American picture book that revolutionized kid's books

                                    Quote of the Day!

                      "Book lovers never go to bed alone."
                                                    ~AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Well here is the book I am going to be highlighting today for you.  Published in 1928.  The pioneer of all kid's picture books and one you need to know about and perhaps add to your collection.

The critics claim that "Millions of Cats" was truly the first American picture book done by an American author/artist.  Prior to its publication in 1928 there were only English picture books for children.  Some have gone so far as to say this book initiated the picture book movement in America.  It is considered a classic of children's literature and continues today to remain in print.  

Why is it so unique?

Wanda Gag designed the "double-page spread."  This was her own innovation and illustrators since have used this stylistic device to enhance their own works.  She went on to write and illustrate other books in her career but this is considered to be her "Masterpiece."  

The type

The story text itself was printed by hand, by Wanda Gag's brother, Howard.  His handmade lettering fits comfortably around his sister's illustrations and serves as a visual link between the pictures and the story.  This handwritten text was an a novelty at the time and gave the impression that any child could have penned this book and called it his own.  The text is well written and repetitive.

The origin?

The story originated in oral versions.  It is said Wanda made up the story for the children of friends she was living with in New York city in the early 1920's.  She perfected it through countless re-tellings and  by the children begging for the story....one more time.  "Millions of Cats" uses rhythmic language and cadenced rhyme, devices of repetition and refrain belonging to the oral traditions.  (cited from weekly.com)

                On to the best part.....about the book itself....

Title:  Millions of Cats

Author and Illustrator:  Wanda Gag (pronounced Gog)

Published:  1928

This black and white picture book is a tale of a very lonely, old couple who live in a "nice clean house which had flowers all around it, except where the door was."  One day the old woman sighs and wishes for a cat.  Her loving, dedicated husband sets out to find the perfect cat for her and grants her that wish.  After walking through many hills and valleys he stumbles upon a hill completely covered with cats, "hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats."  (Oh I remember so well reading that repetitive line to my kindergartener's and them chanting that back to me every time it popped up in the book thereafter).   Great fun!

The old man wants to pick the prettiest cat for his wife but every time he looks in another direction he spots the next pretty cat.  He scoops up as many pretty cats as his old arms can hold and heads off home.  But guess what?  The rest of the felines follow along behind him until he reaches his house.  His wife takes one look at the cat-mob and exclaims, "We can never feed that many cats",  "What are we going to do with them all?"  She and her husband rush indoors and shust the door behind them, leaving the cats to decide which one of them was the prettiest.  After a fierce, fatal quarrel amongst the out - of  -control swarm of cats, the couple take a peek through the window and there is not one cat left outside in their yard.  Off in the bushes they notice a small, scrawny kitten huddling there and they come out to rescue it.  The little guy had decided he wasn't pretty enough to enter the beauty contest so he snuck away and safely hid himself from the mayhem and chaos .  

The old couple lovingly pick him up and take him inside where they nourish and pamper him into perfect health.  As he grows both physically (and emotionally on the old man and woman), he becomes the most beautiful cat in the world to them and they all live happily ever after.  

This book won the John Newbery Honor award in 1929. (The Caldecott did not exist yet.)

About the author:

Wanda Gág

Artist

Wanda Hazel Gág was an American artist, author, translator and illustrator. She is most noted for writing and illustrating the children's book Millions of Cats which won a Newbery Honor Award and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. Wikipedia

Born: March 11, 1893, New Ulm, Minnesota, United States

Died: June 27, 1946, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States

Education: Art Students League of New York, Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Parents: Anton Gág, Elisabeth Biebl

Awards: Newbery Medal, Caldecott Medal, Newbery Honor

                        

                                   ( She looks like a flapper from the 1920's doesn't she? )

              YouTube :   Read the entire book online - "Millions of Cats" / goldfishman82

                                       Book Review Rating:     9+  (Close to perfection!)

Read on and read always!

I would love you to become a member here.  Please join our community and share with me.  Comments are always welcome and I will reply.  Have an awesome day and check out this book.  Smiling at you.

Just for fun ADD ON.....

Cat Bathing As A Martial Art

25

Rating: +8 (from 8 votes)

Some people say cats never have to be bathed. They say cats lick
themselves clean. They say cats have a special enzyme of some sort in
their saliva that works like new, improved Wisk – dislodging the dirt
where it hides and whisking it away.

I’ve spent most of my life believing this folklore. Like most
blind believers, I’ve been able to discount all the facts to the contrary,
the kitty odors that lurk in the corners of the garage and dirt smudges
that cling to the throw rug by the fireplace.

The time comes, however, when a man must face reality: when he
must look squarely in the face of massive public sentiment to the contrary
and announce: “This cat smells like a port-a-potty on a hot day in
Juarez.”

When that day arrives at your house, as it has in mine, I have
some advice you might consider as you place your feline friend under your
arm and head for the bathtub:

— Know that although the cat has the advantage of quickness and
lack of concern for human life, you have the advantage of strength.
Capitalize on that advantage by selecting the battlefield. Don’t try to
bathe him in an open area where he can force you to chase him. Pick a
very small bathroom. If your bathroom is more than four feet square, I
recommend that you get in the tub with the cat and close the sliding-glass
doors as if you were about to take a shower. (A simple shower curtain
will not do. A berserk cat can shred a three-ply rubber shower curtain
quicker than a politician can shift positions.)

— Know that a cat has claws and will not hesitate to remove all
the skin from your body. Your advantage here is that you are smart and
know how to dress to protect yourself. I recommend canvas overalls tucked
into high-top construction boots, a pair of steel-mesh gloves, an army
helmet, a hockey face mask, and a long-sleeved flak jacket.

— Prepare everything in advance. There is no time to go out for
a towel when you have a cat digging a hole in your flak jacket. Draw the
water. Make sure the bottle of kitty shampoo is inside the glass
enclosure. Make sure the towel can be reached, even if you are lying on
your back in the water.

— Use the element of surprise. Pick up your cat nonchalantly,
as if to simply carry him to his supper dish. (Cats will not usually
notice your strange attire. They have little or no interest in fashion as
a rule. If he does notice your garb, calmly explain that you are taking
part in a product testing experiment for J.C. Penney.)

— Once you are inside the bathroom, speed is essential to
survival. In a single liquid motion, shut the bathroom door, step into
the tub enclosure, slide the glass door shut, dip the cat in the water and
squirt him with shampoo. You have begun one of the wildest 45 seconds of
your life.

Cats have no handles. Add the fact that he now has soapy fur, and
the problem is radically compounded. Do not expect to hold on to him for
more than two or three seconds at a time. When you have him, however, you
must remember to give him another squirt of shampoo and rub like crazy.
He’ll then spring free and fall back into the water, thereby rinsing
himself off. (The national record for cats is three lathering, so don’t
expect too much.)

— Next, the cat must be dried. Novice cat bathers always assume
this part will be the most difficult, for humans generally are worn out at
this point and the cat is just getting really determined. In fact, the
drying is simple compared to what you have just been through. That’s
because by now the cat is semipermanently affixed to your right leg. You
simply pop the drain plug with you foot, reach for your towel and wait.
(Occasionally, however, the cat will end up clinging to the top of your
army helmet. If this happens, the best thing you can do is to shake him
loose and to encourage him toward your leg.) After all the water is
drained from the tub, it is a simple matter to just reach down and dry the
cat.

In a few days the cat will relax enough to be removed from your
leg. He will usually have nothing to say for about three weeks and will
spend a lot of time sitting with his back to you. He might even become
psychoceramic and develop the fixed stare of a plaster figurine.

You will be tempted to assume he is angry. This isn’t usually the
case. As a rule he is simply plotting ways to get through your defenses
and injure you for life the next time you decide to give him a bath.

But at least now he smells a lot better.

Submitted by Richard

Rating: +8 (from 8 votes)

Read more: http://www.inspirationalarchive.com/833/cat-bathing-as-a-martial-art/#ixzz2aXGPexc1

Thanks Richard whoever you are for enriching my book theme today.  It was a whole lot of fun to read.

Bad Kitty Gets a Bath - book review

                                   Quote of the Day!

"TV.  If kids are entertained by two letters, imagine the fun they'll have with twenty-six."  Open your child's imagination.  Open a book."
                                                 ~Author Unknown

If you are a cat owner then you can probably identify with the above photo.  Bathing is one of their least favourite things to do and you had better take precautions when you have decided to say to your cat..."Today is bath day!"  Today's humorous, fiction book will give you further insight into this epic event.  Enjoy.


Title:  Bad Kitty Gets a Bath
Author and Illustrator:  Nick Bruel

                    Check out the expression on that kitty's face...oh, oh....dare you go there????

This awesome book is a hybrid - a chapter book and a graphic novel.  It is a beginner chapter book that will be sure to tickle the fancy of a reluctant reader.  It is educational and hilarious.  It is an owner's guide to giving your own personal feline a well deserved bath.  It is full of fabulous illustrations that compliment the text perfectly....showing raw emotions, and "Bad" Kitty's behaviour and attitude when Kitty is faced with this dreaded event.  The purpose of the story is to document exactly how you go about giving your pet a bath.  You are instructed to prepare the water, locate the kitty, put the kitty into the water... the book states...."You'll need a bathtub, water, a suit of armour, an ambulance waiting in the driveway"....  and the fun begins.  Embedded in the story are interesting science facts about feline anatomy and behaviour.  You learn that cats use their own tongues to sponge bath themselves off all over.  They have to be careful because all that licking can give them hairballs which is just plain nasty. You learn exactly why cats lick themselves, the science behind a hairball and exactly why cats do hate water.

From experience I know that cats do indeed hate water, so you can conclude that cats hate baths, so therefore you can conclude, that just maybe, at that particular time when you are the administrator of the water torture, your cat just might hate...... fill in the blank!!!  Do not take this personally though, it is the  bath they hate not you.  The feelings will pass after you drain the tub.

The book is laugh out loud funny and would be a perfect read aloud in a classroom setting.  The author's interview at the end of the book is a wonderful asset and may just inspire someone to become their own author or illustrator or perhaps write about another Bad Kitty adventure.

About the author:

Nick Bruel is an American author and illustrator of children’s books, most notably the Bad Kitty series. The first book in the series, Bad Kitty, is an alphabet-themed picture book, and the following books are chapter books. Wikipedia


Nick Bruel went onto Amazon and left this message.  I will pass it along to you for clarity.

By Nicholas T. M. Bruel

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Although I truly loathe the idea of reviewing my own book, I just want it to be perfectly clear to anyone before they purchase this book that "BAD KITTY GETS A BATH" is NOT a picture book like the original "Bad Kitty" or "Poor Puppy," but is a CHAPTER book.

For reasons unknown to me, the Amazon product description above does not clearly spell this out, so I thought I would do it myself. I really don't want anyone purchasing this book thinking that they'll be getting something that it is not.

Mind you, I think you can treat this book as if it were a long picture book. Even though the book is 128 pages of pure Kitty induced mayhem, I also loaded the book with over 120 illustrations to tell this story of how to give this cat a bath.

This was my reasoning for this book...

I worked for over 7 years in a children's bookstore in Manhattan called "Books of Wonder." During that time, I always found it bewildering when publishers would awkwardly adapt a popular children's book character into a board book format for babies and toddlers. It always made more sense to me to adapt a picture book character into the CHAPTER book format to give kids who are familiar with the character the chance to grow with her and challenge their reading level. To my knowledge, the only character to have done this to mixed success was Mary Hoffman's Grace.

And now I'm trying this with Bad Kitty.

My publisher Roaring Brook and I are treating "BAD KITTY GETS A BATH" as a bridge book for kids who are ready to move from the picture book format to the chapter book (and graphic novel) format.

That's why as a chapter book, I tried to keep the language relatively simple while still loading the book with moments of true non-fiction and lots of humor, keeping in mind that reluctant readers as old as 12 or 13 might pick this one up as well.

Kirkus Reviews got it. In its Starred review of this book, they set the age range at a nice, wide 5-12 years old.

I hope this helps.

                                                   Book Review Rating:    8  (Fabulous!)


Read on and read always.


Sign up and become a member.  Love to hang out with you and please leave me a comment.  I will get back to you.  If you know of any great cat books please share the titles here.  Have an awesome day.

Cat week here.....the best of the best kid's book on cats

                              "Reading means borrowing."
                                         
                                          ~George Christopher Lichtenbertg, Aphorisms


Cats...ah, you either love them or you don't.  They are a part of our lives and those felines truly have a mind of their own.  They are smart, savvy, manipulative and if you own one (or they own you) you know exactly what I mean.  I am dedicating this week to the cat-lovers out there.  There are a gazillion books with a cat as the main character and I am going to highlight the best for you this week.  Enjoy...hey, who knows?  You might even break down and decide to buy/adopt a cat for your own family. Good luck with that!  If you have read or can recommend any great cat books please let me know.  Sharing keeps us all informed and up-to-date.  Feel free to leave your comments too. Thanks a million.


Title:  Pete the Cat - I Love My White Shoes
Author: Eric Litwin
Illustrator:  James Dean
Ages: 2-6

Pete the cat has some new white shoes and sings this song.  "I love my white shoes, I love my white shoes."  As he is walking along he steps in a huge pile of strawberries and his shoes turn all RED!  The tempo of the book is really upbeat and totally engages your child.  Kids will be perched on the edge of their seats ready to shout out the next colour of Pete's shoes. Pete is never dismayed or upset by the changes.  After a rainbow of colour, Pete steps into some water and his shoes get all WET.  Does this bother Pete?  No way!  Goodness no!  It gives Pete a brand new song to sing.  "I love my wet shoes, I love my wet shoes!"

The moral of the story:  "No matter what you step in, no matter what changes occur, keep walking along and singing your song, cause it's all good."  The book is pure entertainment and fun.  Check out the guys as they perform on YouTube - Pete The Cat - I Love My White Shoes.  Enjoy it again and again so you can learn the words, the melody and boogie along in your life.  If you visit their website you can even get prints of this awesome cat to enjoy and a stuffed replica of him too.

About the author:

Eric Litwin has won five national awards for his music and storytelling CDs. He gives more than two hundred performances each year at schools, libraries, festivals, museums, community events, and theaters. Eric is a former classroom teacher and co-founder of The Learning Groove, which creates and provides educational materials and teacher training. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia. You can visit him online at www.ericlitwin.com.

About the Illustrator:

James Dean

BIOGRAPHY

In 2004, Kimberly & James Dean sat down at their kitchen table to work on a children's book together. Their dream has finally become a reality with the release of this new Pete the Cat book, Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses. Both left corporate jobs in the late nineties (James was an electrical engineer; Kimberly worked in the press office of the governor of Georgia) to pursue their passion for art, and they have experienced a life made up of strange and wonderful coincidences ever since. Pete the Cat has brought magic into their lives. They work in side-by-side studios in Savannah, sharing their home with five cats and Emma the pug.

Book Review Rating:      9   (Close to Perfection!) 

There are many, many great  Pete the Cat books on the market.  The newest one is to be released on Kindle, Oct. 1, 2013 is Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses.  

Read on and read always!

  Nothing to do with cats but two things you should know about:

1.  "Goodnight Moon" is now available on mobile devices for free for a limited time only on iTunes.
    "Goodnight Moon", by Margaret Wise Brown,  is still the #1 best selling children's book and the app has some of the pictures animated.  Check it out.  Great deal, great book!

2.  A while ago I reviewed the adult novel , "The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club", by Duncan Whitehead.  The book is a finalist/nominee for the Readers Favourite 2013 International Book Award.  It is a mystery/dark comedy crossover.  It is available until July 31, 2013 for 99 cents (electronic book) or your countries equivalent.  Please check it out.  It is a fun, suspenseful read, and I highly recommend it.

Saturday Sentiments - an adult book review for you today

"Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind."
                                    ~James Russell Lowell


Today I am changing it up and highlighting an adult book for review.  It is important that the whole family reads together.  Did you know that you are being watched?  Your child sees if you participate in the reading journey too.  You are a role model when you pick up a book that you have chosen, a book that you enjoy, and then with delight crack open its pages.  Reading is catching.  It is contagious.  It is a beautiful social event that you can share with your family and friends.  It is almost a lost art that you can restore to your family....read books together and then share the joy you found in the personalized book that you are reading.

Trivia fact:  The Titanic actually had a reading room built into it.  The elite, after dinner, would go there and read their books.  Wow that is cool!


Title:  The Testing
Author:  Joelle Charbonneau
Genre: Dystopian

Cia Vale is honoured to have been chosen as a Testing Candidate.  The Seven Stages War left her world in total disarray - charred and broken.  Her generation are the chosen ones to rebuilt and restore its brokenness.  If you are indeed chosen to be a candidate of the Testing, that enables you to attend university and have a rewarding career.  The night before her departure she and her father, who also was a candidate, talk candidly of what lays ahead for her.  He warns her that things are not as they appear and to trust no one.

Her journal of survival is remarkable indeed.  You cheer her on as she awakens to the horrific truth behind the tests given.  You applaud her for her discernment and bravery as she makes hard choices, that if proven wrong, could actually lead to her death.  Cia is portrayed as a strong, smart, trusting character, with a pure heart that always wants to do the right thing and carry out her assignments with integrity and distinction.  The book will keep you engaged until the very last page.  If you loved the Hunger Games or Divergent then you are going to equally love The Testing.  It is well written with many twists and turns in the plot that will keep you hungering for more.

About the author:

Joelle Charbonneau is a storyteller at heart. She has performed in a variety of operas, musical theatre and children's theatre productions across the Chicagoland area. In addition to her stage work, Joelle has also performed with several bands and worked as a solo performer.

While Joelle is happy to perform for an audience, she is equally delighted to teach private voice lessons and use her experience from the stage to create compelling characters in her mysteries. She is the author of the Rebecca Robbins (Minotaur Books), the Glee Club Paige Marshall (Berkley) mysteries and the YA The Testing trilogy (The Testing, Independent Study and Graduation Day Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's).

To learn more, visit Joelle at her website: www.joellecharbonneau.com

FYI:  On January 7, 2014 there will be an "Independent Study Guide: The Testing, Book 2, available for pre-order.  

Book Review Rating:   8  (Fantastic!)

Read on and read always!

Have an awesome weekend and see you back here on Monday. 

Do you think you would like to read this book?  Do you think it is too similar to Hunger Games?  I must admit when I first read about it I thought...not another one.  I was pleasantly surprised and actually liked it a lot.  Chat to me.  I will respond to you,  I promise.

Interactive, unique, a celebration of reading....all things great and wonderful about books

"Books can be dangerous.  The best ones should be labeled, "This could change your life."
                                        ~Helen Exley


Title:  Open This Little Book
Author:  Jesse Klausmeier
Illustrator:  Suzy Lee

This little book celebrates the power and the actual physical act of turning pages and conducting the story manually.  It is a true visual treat and encourages the reader to go forth and discover a whole new world of books.  The reader opens an increasingly tiny series of books within a book- each adding a layer of colour and script until the whole book itself displays a rectangle of rainbow colours. The pencil and watercolour illustrations are created with soft colours and then digitally manipulated.

                       Catch this on YouTube....it will give you whole experience of the book.....

The nesting books are read by a ladybug, a frog, a rabbit, a bear and a female giant whose hands are so big she cannot possibly manipulate her tiny book, so the other characters jump in and help her out.  The ultimate reader is a child who is encouraged at the end to go out and read even more. The book's colours, animal characters and imaginative exploration of the art of book making is phenomenal.  It shares a message of friendship, kindness and sharing that if applied, can actually change the world.

The design of the book is unique and clever.  Small children (and I must admit adults too) will love opening the books, turning their pages, reading the simple stories and then closing the books up again.  It encourages the love of reading first in the animal world and then translates it into the human one.  The last page sums it all up perfectly....so many books in our world and so little time to read them all.  This debut author teamed up with master book creator, Suzy Lee, is truly a winner.

About the author:

Jesse's debut picture book, "Open This Little Book," was named Amazon Top Pick for January 2013, and received a starred review in Kirkus, as well as many other very positive reviews.

Jesse was born in Madison WI.  The daughter of two teachers, Jesse has been reading and writing stories for as long as she can remember.  After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, Jesse worked at Nickelodeon Animation Studios, and most recently was an assistant editor at Penguin Groups, Dial Books for Young Readers.  She is currently back in Madison, thoroughly enjoying the wide variety of squeaky cheese curds.


About the Illustrator:

Suzy Lee was born in Seoul, Korea and is currently living and working there.
Education:      *MA in Book Arts
                       * Camberwell College of Arts, London, UK
                       *BFA in Painting, Seoul National University

Book Review Rating:     8   (Fantastsic !)

Read on and read always!

Hey if you like the blog and want to be part of it please become a member and remember your comments are always welcome here.  Have an awesome Friday!  

Welcome to the virtual book tour of : Bork Reveals The Real Deal about the Facts of Life

                                        Quote of the Day!

"How many a man has dated a new era in his life from reading a book."  
                             ~Henry David Thoreau







Title :  Bork Reveals The Real Deal about the Facts of Life
           (For Boys Only!)
Author:  Terri Shearer Trenchard
Illustrator:  Tracy Councill

You look across the table at your pre-adolescent boy and see random hairs sprouting over his top lip, zits bumping into each other on both of his cheeks, and you roll your eyes as you remember his uncharacteristic mood swings that day. You know it's time. Time to have "the talk" because puberty is knocking at his door, ready to come in and stay. Oh my!

Awkwardness and embarrassment set in but you are not discouraged because you have done your homework, you have been proactive and you graciously hand him the book that will accurately answer all his questions: "Bork Reveals The Real Deal about the Facts of Life" (For Boys Only!).  Just what the doctor ordered for this epic, historical event.

You gently hand the book over before his bedtime telling him to read up on all the basic changes that he can look forward to in his body, his emotions and his mind.  You arrange a meeting for the following day to discuss the content of the book and to answer any of his questions.  You assure him that you are there for him.

Once the book is open he immediately meets his new best friend, Bork, a boy of his own age who will walk him through this important time of growth.  Bork uses simple language that is relevant to the culture and full of wit and humour.  The strength of Bork's wisdom lies in its accuracy. Knowledge is power and you realize it is imperative that your son discovers the truth in these matters.  All the basics are covered in Bork's puberty journey:  how to shave, how to deal with hygiene, voice change, raging hormones, sex and reproduction protocol, and the management of peer pressure.  I, as a parent, like the fact that this book has included an interactive element called "Real Deal Action Challenges," that encourage a response to the questions and suggestions that are posed to the reader.

When I taught "Sex Ed" in grades seven and eight I would have loved to have had an arsenal of these books to hand out to the boys in my class.  We would have discussed the content thoroughly and then I would have sent the book home so their parents could do a follow-up as the changes occurred in their sons.  This book is a fantastic tool to get the conversation started and the questions answered in a fun and relaxing way.


About the author:

Terri Shearer Trenchard has a master's degree in Education and Human Development from George Washington University.  As a former teacher, manager, and organization development specialist, she currently applies her knowledge and experience in various educational, leadership, and spiritual settings with children.  She lives in Ellicott City, Maryland with her husband and their two children.

Read on and read always!   This book is highly recommended.  

Please leave me a comment, love to hear from you.

Yoo Hoo want to play a spy game?

                   "Fiction reveals truths that reality obscures."
                                            ~Jessamyn West

Remember when you were a kid and playing outside was just what you did.  You got home from school, did homework (if you had any), scarfed down your dinner and then off you went outside to join up with your friends to play games in your neighbourhood. We, as kids, played softball, kick the can, red light /green light, red rover and our most favourite was hide-and -go -seek.  If you were "it" you stayed in a designated spot and counted to 100 giving your friends time to find the perfect hiding spot and then you were off like a shot to expose them and count them out.  It was hard work but man, what fun.  You stayed out playing until almost dark, until you heard your mother calling your name to get inside because it was time to scrub off the dirt and get into bed. Those days are long gone in this modern culture so we restrict our kids to the safety of our laps, open a book about hide-and-seek and simulate the game with our child while reading through its pages.  You can play I Spy with my little Eye as you turn each page of today's book and try to find a cute little lady bug that wants you to join in her game and find her wherever she is hiding...have fun!


Title:  Yoo Hoo, Ladybug!
Author:  Mem Fox
Illustrator:  Laura Ljungkvist

The books begins with.....

 Exerpt from book:

"Yoo-hoo, Ladybug!

Where are you?

There you are...

afloat in the bath,

with Duck and Giraffe!"

Written in superb rhyme, as Mem Fox is a master at, this book chronicles the  "hidden" life of a playful little ladybug that just loves the game hide-and-seek.  Your child will giggle and engage as the pages turn trying to find that little beetle that just magically disappears.  The hiding places are familiar to a child's world such as toys and household items. 

The illustrations are digital, with vibrant colours and spaced out nicely so a younger child can navigate through them quite nicely.  The little bug always hides in plain site and with a turn of the page you find a close up shot of the little lady with a huge smile on her face, showing you exactly where she is located.  The rhyming text is charming and the repeated refrain, "Yoo Hoo, ladybug! Where are you? " cannot help but be repeated by the delighted reader.  It is fun book that your child will want to read (and play with) again and again.  

Mem Fox

Writer

Mem Fox, AM is an Australian writer of children's books and an educationalist specialising in literacy. Fox is semi-retired and lives in Adelaide. Wikipedia

Born: March 5, 1946 (age 67), Melbourne, Australia

Children: Chloë Fox

About the Illustrator:

Biography

Laura was born and raised in Gothenburg, Sweden. Her family moved to Stockholm in her teenage years where she eventually attended the pre-eminent RMI-Berghs Communications Institute. When graduating in 1988, Laura began her career as a professional free-lance illustrator; working with design firms, advertising agencies and magazines.

In 1993, after establishing a successful illustration and teaching career in Stockholm, Laura moved to New York City. She quickly found work with high-end department stores, magazines and design firms such as; Bergdorf Goodman, the New Yorker Magazine and Harper’s Bazaar to mention a few.

Working mainly as an editorial illustrator, Laura entered the next face of her career when her first children's book was published in 2001. Many more have followed and most of them are being translated and published all over the world, including China, Japan, France and Brazil.

Laura's vibrant, modern style has earned her many awards and international acclaim. Besides children's books, her work for magazines, advertising agencies and design firms continues and she is also collaborating with companies designing products. This is a field in which Laura is excited to expand her presence, applying her unique design sensibility and creativity to products and merchandising.

Laura lives with her husband, young daughter and their dog Lola, in a 100 year old brownstone in Brooklyn, NY.

Book review rating:   9  (close to perfection!)

Read on and read always!   

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