My round up of books that should be talked about, but are not for me, is below. Both were read via online reader copies, and both are future publications.
The first is Hello, Tiny Bear. At first, I was okay, Yusuke Yonezu made a cute bear cub as their main character. I then saw that it was a board book (or would be, remember online reader copy, due late August/early September 2023). And I was, “Okay I am not a toddler; therefore, this simple text and simpler illustration combination is not for me,” but was also wondering “do kids really like this repetition?” Probably, as it is interactive. We see Bear (who loves to climb) seeing a pink stick and thinking it is an odd thing. Well, it is a flamingo. A spotted thing, a giraffe. And so on until the not straight, colorful one. Which is a snake and it’s hungry. Okay! Hold your Hoss’ and your Adams and your Joes! WHAT?????? The snake wants to EAT the bear???? Not cool. But the bigger bear comes and saves the day, and Bear realizes the best climbing is on a big, ol’ parent. Cute, but now what? I do think that the toddler crowd will be more than happy with it, however.
I follow it with a picture book, due mid July 2023. It is Going Home and the author/illustrator Seymour Chwast. A few pages were not easy to read. Why? Because instead of the traditional “top to bottom” the top was on the left, the bottom on the right. The book needs to be flipped (can’t with a computer screen). Otherwise, the text in the middle of the image is hard to read. Still, I saw the dog taking a bath, blown away, and has an adventure. He asks lots of people how to get home, gets home, dances, then finishes his bath. All the while he is having the adventure his owner is in “mini panels” wondering, “Who will dance with me? Play fetch?” etc. I don’t get it. I guess, (as the publisher description said, but my wording) it is about “keeping your eye on the prize, your nose to the grindstone, ask for help and all will be okay.” But regardless of if I got it or not, I really do think the toddler crowd will have fun with this goofy dog and its adventure.
Both these books need the right loveable, goofy reader/listener. I am loveable, goofy and a reader/listener, but not the right one.
