Let’s Read Animals Words is an easy concept. Or so it would seem. I expected to see a picture of a cat and then have words like whiskers, paws, kittens, ears, milk. But nope. Ji Lee made a book where the word is the animal. Therore, the lines swoop into a tail, the P of the word penguin creates the head. Things become a wild game of Jenga that should never hold up. And occasionally it does not. While granted it does not fall down (because you know, image on a page) things are weird. Let’s say the Kama Sutra should not be used to read a kids book! I had it twisted and turned and…. Well I would have had I not read it via an online reader copy. So, my neck had a few more kinks in it than Fifty Shades.
Some of the images were actually a little off putting for me. I am not sure how kids would enjoy it as it mostly looks like there is nothing there…just a bunch of marks and color. There are no details outside of the word image. The concept Lee wants is for people, and especially children, to read art. Therefore, you can read it by literally reading a picture. There is no real interpretation of things, just what you see is kind of what you get. Some of the animals you will have seen before, and others are new. But for the most part we know them.
There is a small story alongside the images, but not one that is a continuation throughout the book. This gives some information about the animals as well (the ducklings are close to mom because of predator protection; giraffes sleep standing up). It is a clever concept but not one for everyone.