Italian graphic designer, author and illustrator Agnese Baruzzi works her magic on two beautifully imaginative board books brimming with ingenious peek-through pages. In Find the Wolf, the wolf is wanted for being big and bad, but can you find him on your journey through the woods? Are those his ears... no, they're trees! Are those his paws... no, just some busy squirrels! Could those be his teeth... no, it's just the fallen leaves! Will we ever find him? And will he really be big and bad? Beautiful illustrations and intriguing, clever peep holes make this a big bad adventure with a wolfish but gentle surprise at the end. A lovely concept and not too scary for little ones! In Hidden Animals, see and say the colour shape with your little ones and then turn the pages to reveal the hidden animal surprises. Enjoy your youngster's smiles when a green oval turns into a beetle, a red triangle turns into a fox and a grey square turns into a cat. Both these sturdy books are illustrated in Baruzzi's signature graphic art and stylish palette of colours while her innovative use of die-cuts and the turn-of-the-page revelations give the colour and shape adventures an original and exciting twist. With discoveries on every page, these innovative board books are ideal for sharing and reading aloud. * Lancashire Evening Post *
This gorgeously designed board book is definitely a cut above most 'hide and seek' titles on the market - because alongside the opportunity for children to spot the specific animal shape in various scenes, it also offers a chance to discuss such sophisticated notions as preconceptions and assumptions, in a way that's easily accessible for children of all ages. At the start, we are introduced to the wolf for whom we will be looking, by way of a 'wanted' poster that describes him, naturally, as 'big and bad'. Following this, peek-through cut-outs are used to set up false and ominous expectations of what we are going to see when we turn each page: so, a pair of pointed 'ears' turns out to be two trees in a forest; scary 'eyes' are actually part of a beautiful peacock's tail; and sharp 'teeth' are nothing more threatening than fallen leaves. The silhouette of the wolf himself, though, is always lurking there to be found, and we are periodically reminded of how he howls, snarls and snaps - until we finally find him... surrounded by his loving family in a flowery meadow. It's clever stuff. * Teach Early years *
The perfect starting place for creating young thinkers. Peek through the pages to find the wolf, but can you tell what you are really looking at through the cut-outs? A clever'hide-and-seek' read that gets them challenging their assumptions, with guaranteed giggles on each reveal. * Smallish *
