Walker books has just published two beautiful board books from acclaimed author/illustrator Petr Horáček as part of their baby-friendly series Baby Walker: Flip-Flap Fun.
Horáček has had great success with board books before and as he explains on Playing by the Book, they require a different kind of skill to writing “regular” picture books (you can read the fascinating interview here). One can see easily see why he is considered a master of this format, using the object as a whole, creating novelty elements which work to prefect effect without ever comprising the narrative or being “too much”. Here the pages get shorter as you journey through the book, creating a layering effect and lovely surprise on the final spread. It is simple, but effective, as well as being incredibly baby-friendly, whose developing dexterity do not always allow them to turn pages easily. The shortening pages allow easier grip and encourage learning to turn pages.
Both books focus on themes which will be particularly popular with little people: Honk Honk! Baa Baa! focuses on farm animal sounds while Time for Bed focuses on a child’s afternoon routine from playtime to bedtime. The short an repetitive narratives are perfectly pitched and team up well with Horáček’s signature bold colours are textured artwork. Time for Bed will be particularly useful for parents trying to intruduce a routine with their toddlers.
It can challenging to find board books that have the same quality as traditional picture books, particularly when it comes to the artwork. That is the certainly not the case here and both Honk Honk! Baa Baa! and Time for Bed make lovely additions to a baby’s first library.
Come back tomorrow for Petr’s Fabulous Five!
source: review copy
