It's not often that I review toddler books here. My youngest child is now six, so I'm just not in the market for toddler books anymore. But, I was fortunate enough to receive this beauty--Who's Hiding?--from Kane/Miller this week.* Just look at this cover. How could you not pick it up and review it immediately? (I'm a sucker for symmetry.)
On the surface of things, Who's Hiding, by Saturu Onishi, is a simple book. 18 animals are lined up in rows of 6 across each double-page spread. They appear always in the same order: dog, tiger, hippo, zebra, bear, reindeer/kangaroo, lion, rabbit, giraffe, monkey, bull/rhino, pig, sheep, hen, elephant, cat. The animals, as you see, are colorful iconic representations and very appealing to a young child.
Once we meet each of the animals (I can just imagine reading their names over and over again to a small child), the fun begins. The first question is "who's hiding?" Then the child must find the "missing" animal--in this case the reindeer with only antlers and facial features visible. Onishi also asks "who's crying?," "who's angry?," "who has horns?," "who's backwards?," and "who's sleeping?" The final page features only eyes on blacked-out pages and asks "Who's who?" You know you have a smart toddler if they begin rattling out the names in order.
Who's Hiding is aimed at the 0-3 audience and is sure to provide hours of read-along fun. Enjoy!
On the surface of things, Who's Hiding, by Saturu Onishi, is a simple book. 18 animals are lined up in rows of 6 across each double-page spread. They appear always in the same order: dog, tiger, hippo, zebra, bear, reindeer/kangaroo, lion, rabbit, giraffe, monkey, bull/rhino, pig, sheep, hen, elephant, cat. The animals, as you see, are colorful iconic representations and very appealing to a young child.
Once we meet each of the animals (I can just imagine reading their names over and over again to a small child), the fun begins. The first question is "who's hiding?" Then the child must find the "missing" animal--in this case the reindeer with only antlers and facial features visible. Onishi also asks "who's crying?," "who's angry?," "who has horns?," "who's backwards?," and "who's sleeping?" The final page features only eyes on blacked-out pages and asks "Who's who?" You know you have a smart toddler if they begin rattling out the names in order.
Who's Hiding is aimed at the 0-3 audience and is sure to provide hours of read-along fun. Enjoy!
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Once a year or so I have to mention how much I love Kane/Miller and their mission. Bascially, what they do is bring foreign books to the U.S. market. Who's Hiding was originally published in Japan.
2 comments:
Dear Kelly,
I can see from your posts that you are a committed, thoughtful and well read blogger.
Sincerely,
Katherine Tillotson
Thanks, Katherine.
But, keep in mind, I am a co-founder of the Cybils and a strong believer in the danger of hierarchies. I just can't accept the fact that members of the ALA are necessarily more qualified than a group of writers, teachers, librarians, professors, and, yes, even a well-read parent or two to read and discuss books.
When we founded the Cybils, we did not want to replicate the ALA awards. We wanted to establish something different. Perhaps in the future, as kidlit blogs proliferate, judges and panelists will be elected or nominated. One thing that will not change, however, is that anyone from anywhere can nominate a book. The Cybils, like blogging, are meant to comprise a democratic process. They are also meant to award books that are often overlooked during awards season--books KIDS love. Last year, for example, I could have seen "The Lightning Thief" (a book that never would have been considered a "winner" by the ALA) as the Fantasy/Sci Fi winner.
Sorry to be defensive, but I assure you that The Cybils were created with the best of intentions. They were not meant to compete with the ALA awards, only to provide something different.
P.S. Thanks for identifying yourself. I really appreciate that and I LOVE your art. Gorgeous stuff.
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