Tag: interactive books

Do Not Open this Book Again, by Andy Lee & Heath McKenzie

Oh! You again. Well, you’ll notice I’m back to being little, old, non-froggy, normal me. So, no point reading on because this book is very, very boring.

The little monster character from Do Not Open this Book is back, and back to his normal self, but he really doesn’t wanting readers opening the book, or turning pages. He tries everything to stop the pages being turned, finally revealing why: the wizard who turned him into a frog last book has fixed him – but if the end of the book is reached, he will be naked.

This laugh out loud, interactive book will delight young readers, and will be requested over and over again. With text by Andy Lee (best known as one half of Hamish and Handy) and digital illustrations from Heath McKenzie, Do Not Open This Book Again is good fun.

Do Not Open This Book Again, by Andy Lee & Heath McKenzie
Lake Press, 2017
ISBN 9781760455163

Do NOT Open This Book, by Andy Lee & Heath McKenzie

Oh! You opened the book.
I assume that was an accident?
No problem, accidents happen.
I’m not even angry.
Just PLEASE don’t turn the page.

A zany long-legged egg-shaped blue monster is the star of this book, pleading with the reader first not to open the book then, with increasing desperation, not to turn the pages. he tries threats, pleas and even ignoring the reader, until, on the second last spread, he reveals that a witch has threatened to turn him into a frog if any one reads all the way to the book.

Young readers and listeners are invited into the story. to participate either by turning the page or by telling the adult reader whether to or not to do so. I read this book to my three year old grandson who, after one page, was urging me to ‘turn the page’, and demanded repeated rereadings of the book.

Illustrations, by Heath McKenzie, focus on the narrator, with big eyes, long limbs an an expressive mouth. Text features including bold, caps and shaped text to emphasise emotion, as well as a mix of white space and backgrounds including red when he is particularly angry, as dark grey when he is desperate help to build tension as well as humour.

Great for toddlers and early readers.

Do Not Open This Book, by Andy Lee, illustrated by Heath McKenzie
Lake press, 2016
ISBN 9781760451486

Did You Take the B from my _ook? by Beck & Matt Stanton

I think mt favourite letter has gone from this _ook!
Let’s check!

Designed to be read aloud to one or more children, Did You Take the B from My _ook? is an interactive offering which will have kids laughing and interjecting throughout. The reader, it seems, has sneezed the B from the bok in the arly pages, and so everyword that should begin with B is incomplete. There are _ulls, _eds, _alls and _utterflies aplenty – just no Bs to correctly pronounce them. The solution, it seems, is to have the listeners call out for B to come back.

Did You Take the B from My _ook? tags itself as a book that drives kids crazy, but it’s mor elikely to make them laugh and want to join in with the tongue-twisting silliness of trying to say all those B words without the letter b.

With simple illustrations and a sturdy format, this is perfect for sharing in a school or child care setting as well as at home.

Did You Take the B from My _ook? , by Beck & Matt Stanton
ABC Books, 2016
ISBN 9780733334832

Where is Bear? by Jonathan Bentley

Where is Bear?
Where could Bear be?

A young boy is ready for bed, but cannot find his bear anywhere. He searches first the bedroom, then the rest of the house, and even outside. The reader can see what he apparently can’t – a huge reddish brown bear that shadows him everywhere. Finally, in desperation, the boy asks the reader  Have you seen Bear? But, though an answer from the reader might be forthcoming, the surprise is that boy looks around and finds, not the big bear, but a teddy bear peeking out from a rug in the bedroom. The boy then presents it to the big bear and, together, the pair go to bed.
This humorous, clever picture book will draw the young reader in, and encourage them to interact. The apparent humour of the boy seemingly unable to see the huge bear who follows him everywhere, coupled with the twist at the end, makes for lots of child engagement and laughter. Bentley’s colourful pencil and watercolour illustrations fill each spread, and allow for minimal text.
Delightful.

Where is Bear? By Jonathan Bentley
Little Hare, 2016
ISBN 9781760122911