When it comes to illustrating picture books, the ways to do it are
endless. Programs like Photoshop or 3D animation take watercolor or oil pastel
images to a whole new level. While this is a new and exciting development, the
people at Penguin Publishing believe in the tried and true pen and ink classic
pictures and have recently introduced their line of G&D Vintage books – relaunching books from the Wonder Books line
that were originally published in the 40s, 50s and 60s. Each book has a
nostalgic feel but the colors and stories are fresh and exciting for today’s
youngest readers. It’s a genius way to make the classics relevant and to create
a bond between grandparents and grandchildren by sharing the books they loved
as children with the next generation of readers.
My favorite books in this series are:
The Animals’ Vacation – Shel
and Jan Haber
The zoo keeper gathers up the animals and drops them off in their
natural habitats for vacation but they all head back to the zoo in time to
celebrate Mrs. Kangaroo’s new baby. The best part of this book is the map on
the back end pages that highlights where each animal from the story live around
the world.
The Too Little Fire Engine – Jane Flory
A small toy engine has always wanted to help fight fires. When his
friends at the toy shop laugh at this idea, he is more determined than ever to
put out a fire. When the fire alarm goes off in town, he heads out to the heart
of emergency and learns that even when you are small you can help in big ways. This
book is ideal for any child who loves rescue vehicles.
The Noisy Clock Shop – Jean Horton Berg
Mr. Winky loves his clock shop and takes comfort in the constant hum of
the tick-tock. When Mr. Glum points out how irritating the sound is, Mr. Winky
is suddenly bothered by the noise as well and starts on a journey to find peace
and quiet. He travels all over in search of the perfect spot and finds it in
the heart of his clock shop. The book has great illustrations and reminds
everyone that there is no place like home.
The full title list of books in
this series:
The Funny Bunny Factory
The Fix It Max
The Baby Elephant
The Christmas Puppy
The Animals’ Vacation
Mr. Wishing Went Fishing
The Bingity Bangity School Bus
My ABC Book
The Noisy Clock Shop
Bunny Hopwell’s First Spring
The Too Little Fire Engine
