Annick Press has two new shape concept books by the husband-and-wife team of Sheryl and Simon Shapiro coming out at the end of the month: Zebra Stripes Go Head to Toe and Ladybugs Have Lots of Spots. Both capture a child’s attention with bright, colorful photographs and bouncy rhyming text.
You know that special age when children are learning their shapes? Nothing helps more than visual repetition, which is what these books provide in a gently humorous way. For example, stripes aren’t only on zebras, but also can be noodles being slurped up. A circle is a hula hoop, but also a hole in a sock. A square has four corners, unless someone has taken a bite out of it!
Although Simon Shapiro is a photographer, the photographs are from stock sources. The text matches perfectly, however, and they have chosen child-friendly and high-quality images. I have to admit those ladybugs on the cover of Ladybugs Have Lots of Spots caught my eye. The design is fun, too, with shapes subtly incorporated into the pages for children to discover (look for the page numbers in Zebras).
Zebra Stripes Go Head to Toe and Ladybugs Have Lots of Spots are just what parents are looking for in shape concept books. Be prepared to read them again and again, discovering new things each time.
Titles were provided for preview electronically at NetGalley.
Zebra Stripes Go Head to Toe (Shapes and Spaces)
Age Range: 3 – 5 years
Library Binding: 24 pages
Publisher: Annick Press (July 30, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1554515815
ISBN-13: 978-1554515813
Ladybugs Have Lots of Spots (Shapes and Spaces)
Age Range: 3 – 5 years
Paperback: 24 pages
Publisher: Annick Press (July 30, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1554515564
ISBN-13: 978-1554515561