Today's read... I'm Your Ice Cream Truck by Hannah Eliot

When I saw today's read, I had to show it to you. After all, what's Summer without ice cream (well, Winter, Spring and Autumn, too, but that's not the point). We don't have an ice cream truck, where we live for obvious reasons (the sadness of living out in the country), but I know my kids  enjoyed visiting one, when we did live in town.

And if nothing else, this is a great read to use as an excuse to treat the kids (and yourself) to ice cream. 

I'M YOU ICE CREAM TRUCK

by Hannah Eliot

Illustrated by Belinda Chen

Little Simon

Board Book

18 pages

ages 0 to 3

From the playground to the library, see all the places your favorite ice cream truck goes in this sweet truck-shaped board book!

I am your ice cream truck!
I deliver sweet treats
that are cold and frosty
and delicious to eat!

Follow along as your ice cream truck makes its way to the playground, the pool, the library, and more!

GOODREADS    /    B&N    /     ABE BOOKS     /     AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

With ice cream and the familiar, fun places, this book glows with Summer joy.

This board book is shaped a bit like an ice cream truck and created to handle a little abuse. The cover and pages are also no problem to wipe off after small smudges. That said, it's a Summer-y colored cover with a friendly truck and a row of favorite ice cream treats, which is sure to make young listeners/readers smile. 

The ice cream truck and it's large ice cream deco will have readers wishing they could have an ice cream, too. And those, who aren't familiar with ice cream trucks, will have no problem understanding what's going on. While this read does display ice cream, it isn't only about the cool treat. Rather, this read is all about the various places the truck visits. 

From pools to the park to the school, the scenes are familiar. Most portray kids running around, playing, and having fun. There are also enough details in each colorful illustration to give young listeners a reason to go back and explore each scene on their own. The text is kept short (one sentence) and the vocabulary fits well. And the entire read closes off with a satisfying calmness, which fits even as a bedtime read.

Even listeners/readers, who haven't seen an ice cream truck themselves, will be wishing they could visit one themselves after discovering this read.

Today's read... I'm a Little Snowman by Hannah Eliot

Today's read is all about snow. I found the trio on the front cover quite original and, definitely, friendly. The snowflakes had me dreaming of a winter landscape...which we probably won't see for the holidays in our neck of the woods. But I can still dream.

This one is for the youngest readers out there and is already out in the world.

I'M A LITTE SNOWMAN

by Hannah Eliot

Illustrated by Anna Daviscourt

Little Simon

Board Book

14 pages

ages 2 to 5

This winter-themed twist on the classic “I’m A Little Teapot” is sure to be a hit with little readers!

I’m a little snowpal,
head to toes.
Here are my buttons,
here is my nose.

With adorable snowpeople and animal characters, this snowy story is perfect for parents and young ones alike!

GOODREADS   /   BOOK DEPOSITORY   /   B&N   /   AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Cheerful vibes ring with a snowy landscape as this snow-made bunch puts a new twist on a long-enjoyed, children's song.

This is a small board book for the youngest readers. It is sturdy enough to handle bumps and drops, and the pages can be wiped free of lighter dirt and grime. Snowmen meet the ever-favored song, 'I'm A Little Teapot', and add a winter twist to the lines and verses. There are, usually, two four-lined phrases for each 2-page spread, fitting to one go through the song every time. The wording and time fits well most of the time, but once or twice does stumble a bit...so the reader might want to sing through this by themselves first before reading it aloud to make sure they've got the rhythm down. Singing it is fun and does put a smile on the face.

The illustrations are wintery and joyful. They included outdoor scenes with forests, snowflakes, and familiar animals. The snow friends appear to be singing themselves the entire way through, which adds just the right brightness and atmosphere.

It's a cute book, which is sure to bring smiles. And I do see this one as getting that phrase 'again' more than a few times because....well, it's fun to sing along with this group.

And here they are...

Hannah Eliot is a children’s book editor who lives in Manhattan, New York. Her favorite activities include editing (of course), writing, painting, and doodling all over every piece of notebook paper she uses.

Anna Daviscourt is an illustrator from Portland, Oregon. She loves to lend whimsical design and storytelling to create magical images that transport the viewer. Anna’s daily work includes writing, illustrating, and streaming her design process online. She also hosts other creatives on Adobe Live, a broadcast about design on Behance.net. She has previously taught at the Pacific Northwest College of Art and online with the Society of Visual Storytelling. Her passions include animated movies, baking, sculpting, and anything magical and/or cute! Find out more at AnnaDaviscourt.com.

Review:Happy Heart by Hannah Eliot

HAPPY HEART

by Hannah Eliot

Illustrated by Susie Hammer

Little Simon

Board Book

14 pages

ages 2 and up

Celebrate the ones you love with this adorable glittery heart-shaped board book!

You are the sun in my sky.
You are the apple of my eye.
You mean the world to me.
You make my heart so happy.

Each page of this adorable board book is die-cut in a different shape. With sweet, loving text, bright, happy illustrations from Susie Hammer, and glitter on every page, Happy Heart is perfect to share with someone you love! 

 MY TIDBITS

What a super cute book! Filled with glittery bliss...and I do mean lots of glitter, every page shimmers and shines with happiness and love.

This is a relatively small board book, which is shaped in the form of a heart. And that fits perfectly with the main theme—love. The poem inside is simple and as packed with love as the book. It's hard not to smile and feel warm and fuzzy while reading it.

The illustrations are very simple and basically create each page...and no, not every page is a heart. These radiate joy and happiness, making it easy for even the youngest readers/listeners to understand. Just picking it up made my family members smile, even the one who is an anti-glitter kid.

I can see little listeners getting a kick of carrying this one around and enjoying the glittery fun. The message inside is definitely one they'll never hear enough and enjoy.

Review: Diwali by Hannah Eliot

DIWALI

Celebrate the World

by Hannah Eliot

Illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan

Little Simon

Board Book / Diverse Books

24 pages

ages 2 to 4

Learn all about the traditions of Diwali with this third book in the delightful board book series Celebrate the World, which highlights special occasions and holidays across the globe.

Each autumn we gather with our friends and family and light our brightest lanterns. It’s time for Diwali, the festival of lights! In this lovely board book with illustrations from Archana Sreenivasan, readers learn that the five days of Diwali are a time to pray for a bountiful season, celebrate the special bonds between siblings, and rejoice in the victory of light over darkness and good over evil.

 MY TIDBITS

This is one book in an entire series of board books with the goal of opening up the youngest listeners to the variety of cultures and some of their celebrations. I've read two of these already, but this one is my favorite.

Diwali, also known as the festival of lights, is celebrated around this time of year (end of October/early November). In these pages, the background behind Diwali is very quickly hit upon (the goddess and how the light invites her in), allowing the main focus to remain on the preparation and practices during the five day celebration. For a board book, there is enough text, but it never comes across as too much. Rather, it's perfect to read-aloud and flows with enough of a 'story time' flare to keep it interesting. It probably won't hold the interest of the youngest listeners, but children ages four and up will pick up on the information and have no trouble understanding what is going on.

The illustrations are bright, detailed and bring the scenes to life without growing confusing or over-packed. The people's expressions bring across the joy and make it difficult not to want to dive into the pages and celebrate with the characters.

While Dewali is a celebration many readers may not have heard about before, this book does a great job of making the basic background and rituals understandable. While younger listeners will enjoy gazing at the illustrations, slight older listeners (ages four and up) will be more able to grasp the holiday and the celebration.


And here they are...

The Author...
Hannah Eliot is a children's book editor who lives in Manhattan, New York. Her faorite activities include editing (of course), writing, painting, and doodling all over every piece of notebook paper she uses.

The Illustrator...

Archana Sreenivasan is an illustrator based in Bangalore, India. Her illustrations have been published in numerous magazines, children's books, book covers, and comics. She studied animation film design at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, and Participated in a summer residency at the School of Visual Arts in New York, where she studied illustration. She finds the nautral world and people-watching most inspiring and is endlessly fascinated by cats.

Review: Día de los Muertos by Hannah Eliot, Illustrated by Jorge Gutierrez

Día de los Muertos

by Hannah Eliot

Illustrated by Jorge Gutierrez

Little Simon

Board Book / Holiday

24 pages

ages 2 to 5

Learn all about the traditions of Dia de los Muertos with this second book in the brand-new board book series Celebrate the World, which highlights special occasions and holidays across the globe.

At the end of October each year, it’s time to celebrate an ancient tradition: Dia de los Muertos! With vibrant illustrations by Golden Globe–winning Mexican illustrator Jorge Gutierrez, this festive board book teaches that Dia de los Muertos honors ancestors and loved ones who have passed. From sugar skulls to papel picado, this is a holiday that truly commemorates the cycle of life.

MY TIDBITS

This is a great way to introduce children to a holiday they may not have heard of before and discover more about the world around them.

With 24 pages, this is a sturdy little board book, perfect for small hands. The cover and pages will hold up to small accidents and a bit of roughness. The traditions and reasons for celebrating Dia de los Muertos are explained clearly, while still allowing the excitement the holiday brings to still filter in. The text uses simple enough vocabulary for kids to understand, while still allowing some lesser known, cultural words to filter in.

The illustrations are as expected from Jorge Gutierrez—a real treat. He has brought the holiday across in a vibrant, exciting way while still keeping the foundations of the celebration clear. There are many small details in the drawings to make sure children come back and investigate them on their own.

While there are many great things to this book, I'm not sure it's fitting for the board book age group. The text is fairly long for the youngest listeners and the illustrations, while beautiful, don't always depict the situations clear enough for board book audiences to understand. Slightly older listeners/readers would slide into these pages without a problem, but unfortunately, the older age group (who would enjoy this book the most) will most likely not be willing to pick up a board book.

Still, it's a wonderful story which does a terrific job in introducing Dia de los Muertos to kids.

And here they are...

The Author...
Hannah Eliot is a children's book editor who lives in Manhattan, New York. Her faovite activities include editing (of course), writing, painting, and doodling all over every piece of notebook paper she uses.

The Illustrator...

Jorge R. Gutierrez  is a Mexican animator, painter, writer, and director who, along with his wife, Sandra Equihua, created the multiple Aniie and Emmy Award-winning animated television series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera for Nickelodeon. Born in Mexico City and raised in Tijuana, Guierrez has completed various films, cartoons, illustrations and paintings exploring his love affair with Mexican pop and folk culture. He won two Annie Awards (Best TV Animated show & Best TV Character Design) and on Emmy Award (Best TV Character Design) for El Tigre. He was also nominated for an Annie for Disney's The Buzz on Mattie. Most recently, he cowrote and directed the animated feature The Book of Life, which earned him a 2014 Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Animated Feature Film.