Board Books with Flaps
Anon. “Animal Families” series. Illus. by Jane Ormes. Nosy Crow, 10/2019. [10p.] $$9.99 each.
Farms. 978-1-5362-0830-6.
Jungle. 978-1-5362-0831-3.
In this new series, a sturdy gatefold flap on the right of each spread hides some of the animals in this lesson on the names of animal offspring. The final spread has flaps on both the left and right pages, with a text explaining the various animals’ group names (such as a flock of sheep). The deeply saturated colors in the screen print illustrations resemble paint with linoleum print accents. This series is unique and successful, offering a lot of information in a short text.
Arrhenius, Ingela P. Where’s the Witch? Nosy Crow, 07/2019. [10p.] 8.99. 978-1-5362-0753-8.
In this Halloween addition to the popular series, various scary characters are hidden behind felt “flaps.” These include a skeleton, spider, and vampire, and the felt pieces are cut into Halloween shapes such as a jack-o-lantern and coffin. Like the previous entries in this series, the final item under the last felt flap is a mylar mirror for the reader to see himself. This is likely to be popular all year long, but not essential.
Braun, Sebastien. Can You Say It, Too? Tweet! Tweet! Nosy Crow, 06/2019. [10p.] $8.99. 978-1-5362-0556-5.
The 10th entry in this series, different birds are hidden behind the large flap in each spread, along with the word for the sound that bird makes. For example, the crow is shown along with “Caw! Caw!” The full color artwork is bright and the flaps are quite sturdy.
Turley, Gerry. “Lois and Bob” series. Nosy Crow, 06/2019. [12p.] $8.99 each.
Lois Looks for Bob at the Beach. 978-1-5362-0588-6.
Lois Looks for Bob at the Museum. 978-1-5362-0589-3.
In the latest in the popular series, Lois the black and white kitten and her friend Bob the canary visit a beach and a museum. Each spread features a large, sturdy gatefold flap that is die-cut to represent an item at the location, such as a rock, boat, or painting. Various animals are behind each flap, with Bob appearing in the final spread. The full color cartoon-like art is quite charming.
Informational Pop-up Books
Anon. Things That Go. Disney, 07/2019. [10p.] $8.99. 978-1-368-03704-4.
In this simple look at various vehicles, Disney characters are shown as the drivers. For example, two of Snow White’s dwarves are in a rowboat, Mickey and Pluto are in a submarine, Olaf sits on a sled, and Buzz Lightyear is in a rocket. There are both classic characters, such as Daisy and Minnie in a motorboat, and newer film characters such as the old man, boy, and dog from “Up” in a blimp. The text consists of simple sentences and short labels for each vehicle. This is quite sturdy and will be popular, although it is not particularly innovative.
Boughton, Sam. Hello, Dinosaurs! Templar, 09/2019. [16p.] $12.99. 978-1-5362-0809-2.
Several dinosaurs are described in this delightful factual book, each with flaps that reveal more facts. Common dinosaurs included are Diplodocus, Triceratops, T-Rex, Parasaurolophus, Stegosaurus, Plesiosaurus, Ankylosaurus, and Pteranodon. Some of the flaps are small but many are gatefold pages that reveal another dinosaur. The full color collage illustrations and hand-lettered text on white backgrounds are quite engaging, making this for a wide age range.
Flap Books for Readers
Emmett, Jonathan. Alphabet Street. Nosy Crow, 10/2019. [24p.] $17.99. 978-1-5362-0827-6.
The rhyming text and flaps tell a story as well as teach the alphabet in this unusual book. Each spread has four flaps, one for each letter, containing a rhyming sentence. These combine to describe the businesses on a street and the animals that work there. The book unfolds to show an eight-foot tableau on the other side, showing animals playing in a park. This is probably best suited to home use and not libraries as it is likely to tear.
Tallec, Olivier. What’s Going on Here? A Tell Your Own Tale Book. Chronicle, 09/2019. [25p.] $15.99. 978-1-4521-7317-7.
Originally published in France, this features pages cut into thirds, so the reader can make new creatures by flipping different sections. The tall, thin format serves this device, which helps the reader make new, imaginary animals who wear funny hats. The full color art on white backgrounds depict silly animals and two humans. The text has captions and questions that all make sense no matter what page sections are visible. This is sure to be a fun way to engage reluctant readers.
Underwood, Edward. 100 First Words. Nosy Crow, 09/2019. [14p.] $9.99. 978-1-5362-0822-1.
Simple words are grouped into categories on each spread: a farm, outside, inside, animals, vehicles, bedtime, and “about us” which names parts of the human body. This is a great vocabulary builder for emergent readers, as the blocky, full color graphic art makes it very easy to identify the word that serves as a caption. On each spread are two flaps that reveal another word. Using a large picture book size, sturdy board pages, a large typeface, and sturdy flaps, this will appeal to a wide age group.
Penny Peck, San Jose State University iSchool
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