Illustrated books | Page 3 of 5

What’s the Rush?, uses great art and slow boil to weave differences

Why so serious? was the phrase that crossed my mind the first time I saw What’s the Rush? They’re sibling queries to be sure, but the latter is far less malevolent than the one that folks might associate with the Caped Crusader. What’s the Rush? is a lovely illustrated book by Yiting Lee that proves that books for young audiences don’t need to have a solid, theme-trodden story arc.

What’s the Rush? is an old-school illustrated book that channels the Tao of Pooh, simply by being itself and encouraging others to do the same. — A turtle and a rabbit meet in a bar…..

That might sound like a slam, but I don’t mean it to come across that way. Rather, it’s OK for illustrated books to meander, take their time and allow its characters to smell the roses. To an extent, it is in the vein of The Tao of Pooh, where sometimes a thing just is, or happy characters in a book just are.

What’s the Rush? sees two friends getting together for some tea and snacks. This book could’ve gone in a different, far less enjoyable, and more predictable manner. That’s because the two friends in question are a rabbit and a turtle. Turtles are slow, rabbits are fast, children got that message and easily know what slow and steady wins the race means.

That’s where What the Rush? goes in a different direction and opens up what could be the potential relationship between the two animals. Turtle is a very polite host who serves his friend snacks in an elegantly prepared spread. It’s on this picnic that the turtle innocently mentions that he would like to climb the beautiful mountain that’s in the distance. Rabbit has heard these wistful dreams before and suggests that the two do it tomorrow to which turtle says, “What’s the Rush?”.

The next morning the two embark on their quest to the mountain. However, the turtle is not quite ready to depart when the rabbit shows up on his doorstep. Turtle is busy folding clothes, trimming shrubbery, watering plants, cooking, painting, cleaning, and packing. Rabbit grows tired of the turtle’s tardiness, screams at him and out the door, the two of them go. Thanks to his hard shell, the turtle is able to carry all of his too many bags on his back.

As the two make their way to the mountain they encounter troubling obstacles one after the other. “Hang on just one minute”, is what the turtle says to the rabbit each time they get to one of them. Thankfully, due to the turtle’s packing, they’re able to overcome each one of them, all the while the bags on his shell get less numerous. When they finally get to the mountain top the two friends see the moon, turtle looks up and casually mentions that it would be nice to go there. Rabbit, being the more rabbit of the two suggests that they go tomorrow to which turtle asks his fleet-footed friend, “what’s the rush?”.

The art in What’s the Rush? has an old-school, classic vibe about it that resonates with younger elementary-aged audiences. Some of the illustrations take up full pages, some use white space to fill the void and others use panels. The panels are used very effectively to demonstrate the amount of time that the rabbit perceives as wasted, while his friend is getting ready for the hike.

I read the book to a group of pre-k kids and asked them what the book was about. The responses varied from friendship to working together to taking a vacation. That’s what I meant by the book establishing a folksy, patient way of telling a story that’s a snapshot of the dynamic between two friends. There’s no great conflict or Earth-bending issue they’re navigating. It’s just two friends who are very different and are out for a walk, done with illustrations that will make kids smile.

What’s the Rush? is by Yiting Lee and available on Princeton Architectural Press.

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Anglerfish The Seadevil of the Deep, fun STEM for one and all

Fish aren’t inherently evil or bad. However, if you were to pose the question of what’s the evilest fish of them all then the Anglerfish would surely be in that mix. If nothing else, then that glowing light that’s on the end of the fishing rod on their head would qualify them by some people’s classification. If you didn’t know what an Anglerfish was before, then that description certainly painted exactly which fish we’re talking about. Anglerfish, The Seadevil of the Deep is an illustrated book by Elaine M. Alexander with illustrations by Fiona Fogg. This is on the STEM side of illustrated books and presents this mysterious fish in a way that will entertain, make kids curious, and drop little nuggets of knowledge that they’ll gleefully share with their friends.

Anglerfish: The Seadevil of the Deep is an illustrated book that examines a mysterious creature and makes it an unlikely hero.

C’mon in, the water’s fine

Alcatoe and the Turnip Child, retro/modern charming graphic novel magic

Fables get a bad rap with upper elementary and middle school students. I taught a class to ESL students that were comprised mostly of fables, you know, those stories that teach lessons. And if there’s one thing that some kids that age don’t want, it’s a lesson. Alcatoe and the Turnip Child is not a fable. It’s also not a fairy tale and not entirely a folktale either. To some readers, Alcatoe could have elements of all of those things, but for us it’s a beautifully paced book about kids, a grumpy witch, the quaint town they live in, and magic.

Alcatoe and the Turnip Child is a graphic novel with a timeless vibe, a slightly evil undercurrent and an irrepressibly quirky demeanor.

Don’t call it a folk story, unless you want to

Animals That Might Exist, critters from another mother to entertain all

Animals That Might Exist is a very clever book that could be viewed via two, different lenses. Either of them will agree that the book is an incredibly well-crafted and produced book. Its pages are thicker than regular ones and when combined with its interior drawings help the book exude an aurora of a long-lost encyclopedia from the Gary Lawson non-fiction wing of biology. And having said that, there’s a third lens that people might enjoy reading Animals That Might Exist.

Animals That Might Exist is creative, faux-biology at its best with dozens of animals that should exist, but just haven’t been found yet.

faux biology with a far side twist

Lizzy and the Cloud, an illustrated allegory and a great goodnight read

Allegorical illustrated books can be about many things or they can be about nothing at all. Maybe they reference amorphous feelings, or perhaps it’s just about a kid who’s having an off day. The tricky part in quantifying these books is that sometimes your interpretation of the book will differ from mine, but that’s OK because we’re both correct. Lizzy and the Cloud is an illustrated book of a Rorschach test that leads to an M. C. Escher painting that you’re looking at through dreamy, haze-colored glasses. And by that I mean, readers might come away from the book with different interpretations of what Lizzy and her cloud actually mean, but they’ll all be on the same page when it comes to singing the book’s praises.

Lizzy and the Cloud is a great good night book, with illustrations that speak beyond its text and a story ages 4 and up will smile at.

A great-goodnight book that can be read once or multiple times in a sitting

Nana Loves You More, sub-par illustrated pre-k with great sales numbers

Was it not for the author’s name of Nana Loves You More, very few people outside of those who already have the first three books in the series, would be talking about it? Having said that, it merits the question, if Jimmy Fallon hadn’t written Your Baby’s First Word Will Be Dada, would the others in the series have ever been written? It’s a case of which came first the chicken or the egg? In this case one could also factor in if Nana Loves You More gets more children to read because of its prominent placement in stores across the country, does it really matter?

Nana Loves You More is the fourth in the Jimmy Fallon series that could easily be driven more out of obligation and sales than a yearning to tell a story.

This might not the nana book you’re looking for

Kick Push, an illustrated book that runs with enthusiasm to kids 6 and up

A book that reaches out and grabs the nape of your neck is a rare thing. It’s not something that you’re expecting as it slams your senses, wakes up your eyes, and takes you on a trip to a place that you’ve never been before. Kick Push is an illustrated book that lovingly yells at you until you pay attention. At first, it seems like that manic, out-of-control student whose only goal is to distract the teacher from the lesson of the day. But then, after you spend a couple of pages with Kick Push you realize that it’s a picture book that’s unlike anything you’ve seen before and will challenge you in all the right ways.

Kick Push is an illustrated book that screams at just the right volume. It grabs readers’ attention, makes them curious and entertains, all while teaching a lesson.

Kinetic action in a book that teaches a lesson

Fox, A Circle of Life Story is timeless, illustrated book gold

Think of one of Salt N’ Pepa’s biggest hits, but replace the word ‘sex’ with the much less salacious word ‘death’. Now, let’s talk about death. Then, make the book as much, if not more about life, and you’ve got a great overview of one of the best-illustrated books of the year, Fox: A Circle of Life Story. Also, much like D.J. Spinderella song, its misdirection makes people think it’s mainly about one thing but instead gets them thinking, or talking about something that otherwise might be challenging or off-putting.

Timeless,-and an easy entry into your ‘forever’ library