The Fox and the Hen
by Eric Battut
Published 2010. The artwork is stunning, love the warm colors, and the artist found the perfect orange. The story read like a fable in spots, which I adored. I did wish there would’ve been something mysterious or something that pushed it a bit further. But the overall book is excellent.
The Last King of Angkor Wat
by Graeme Base
Published 2014. Judging this book by its cover, I would’ve been ecstatic to pick this up as a child. The cover is interesting, impactful, and vibrant. The artwork inside continues to be engaging and interesting to look at. The story is fun and engaging but doesn’t leave anything for the reader to imagine or have fun with. The text is too long. Overall, the spreads are a bit dull because they continually keep the same structure. Fantastic artwork paired with text/story that could’ve been more inspired and edited.
Jungle Drums
by Graeme Base
Published 2004. Same fantastic artwork, another captivating and eye-catching cover. The text is a bit long-winded. However, the story has a unique quality to it. It also offers a puzzle with a conflict that kept me interested in this very long picture book. That said, the ending doesn’t land. It’s a bit rushed and undeserved. We needed more development in the middle section to make the story’s end believable. I liked where it was going, but it stumbled a bit.
Brave Squish rabbit
by Katherine Battersby
Published 2012. I was initially not a fan of the artwork, but it really grew on me and became quite charming in its own unique way. The story was subtle and I enjoyed the first half. But, as the story concluded, it felt a bit lost and unrewarding.
Crinkle, Crackle, Crack. It’s Spring!
by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by John Shelley
Published 2015. The publication date of this book surprised me, as it has a vintage feel to it. The artwork is nostalgic and gorgeous. It has stunning linework and textures paired with lovely, muted, yet still vibrant colors. Loved the fun phonetic words that engaged with the reader and created a nice structure and rhythm to the text. I enjoyed the book very much. It’s perfect for those grey, dreary months when you feel spring may never show up.
Thank you,
Caleb
