I have always been a huge fan of book jackets. I love lifting them up
and sometimes finding a whole different picture underneath the original cover,
as if the illustrator could not decide which one he liked more, so he put both representations
of what he wanted to convey on that first thing you see (the cover) and those of us smart enough to
peak underneath can find a true treasure. Disney/Pixar has started producing
Artist Showcase Books – “A series of original picture books that put the
spotlight on the incredible artists of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar
Animation Studios” and so far, the two books I have seen from this series are
incredible. The illustrations and characters will welcome you into their worlds
and you will constantly want to return.
In Bug Zoo by Andy Harkness,
a young boy named Ben who loves bugs is motivated by a trip to the city zoo to
create his own bug zoo. When no one comes to see his exhibit he contemplates why
that could be as well as the emotions of the bugs in their new residences. Ben learns
that all living things have their proper place in this world and that there is
a use for every empty jar one may find. Any child who LOVES bugs will love the
illustrations in this book and any child who HATES bugs will also love this
book. The end papers of the book are filled with facts about the bugs depicted
in the story along with instructions on the best ways to catch some of them. The bright
colors, attention to detail and Ben's high spirits will truly make young
children want to play outside and discover the insects living among them. (And don’t
forget to look inside the jacket cover for another amazing image!) This book
will be available for purchase on February 16, 2016.
Cloud Country by Noah Klocek is
one of those picture books you aren’t sure of it’s intended audience, but once you read it you feel you must share it with everyone you know. Is it for
children looking to find their place in the world or is it for adults as a
lesson on how to teach each child based on their personal abilities? I believe
that to be the magic of this book - there is truly something for every reader. The child will relate to Gale, a little
cloud who loves to gaze at the Earth from above when she should be studying for
her final on how to create perfect cloud formations. When she masters creating
clouds that are a little out of the ordinary for her world, the Head Guardian
realizes she has a talent to create “Land Shapes” and instead of ostracizing
her for not creating a “Cumulus Cloud”, he honors her the position of “Daydream
Cloud” - to create the shapes we think we see when we look up at clouds in the
sky, a message all parents and teachers can be reminded of: that even if your
child does something a little different than expected, it does not make it any
less extraordinary and should be celebrated (within reason). The illustrations in this book
truly transform you into the stratosphere and will truly make you feel like you
are right there at the cloud school final with Gale. I encourage you to take a look at
this very cool behind the scenes video with Noah Klocek about how he created
this masterpiece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQrUBrzOKfI
(And don’t forget to check under the book jacket!!)
