PICTURE BOOK - The Rabbit Problem by Emily Gravett

Illustrated by the author

2009 in England
2010 US McMillan Children's

HC $17.99

Goodreads rating:  4.24 - 760 ratings

My rating: 5 - This is going to be along-time favorite, I love it!

Back cover:  “The Rabbit Problem:  This book is based on a problem that was solved in the 13^th Century by the Mathematician Fibonacci, but it is NOT (I repeat NOT) and book about math.  It is a book about rabbits… Lots of rabbits!”

My comments:  First of all, the book is made so you can SEE how it’s made, you can see the ¾-inch long stitches, you can see the four signatures, you can take a look at the spine and see how the book is put together.  For me, that’s cool.  Secondly, the book is made like a calendar.  Once you open to the first page you have to rotate the book and read it vertically.  There are even holes punched all the way through the book (including the cover) so that it could hang like a real calendar.  And then the cleverness starts.  So thirdly, each double-page spread has a small “something” attached that you have to read (and totally enjoy!) before you turn the page.  And fourthly (spoiler alert!!!):  the last two pages are a magnificent pop-up.

          An invitation; knitting directions; Bunny’s baby book; The Ministry of Carrots RATION BOOK (all filled in); “The Fibber”, Fibonacci Field’s only local newspaper; and the Carrot Cookbook are all totally delightful and hysterical.  Read every work, these are a riot.  Actually, the entire book is a riot.  Perfect for older kids and even adults for a good ha-ha-ha.

          And Fibonacci’s Principle is fully discovered, disclosed, and discussed.  There’s even a math problem involved if one desires to try to figure it out (I do!).  Every page bears details to delight one and all, so look carefully everywhere, and take your time.  What a treat!  Hugely recommended.

Goodreads:  Hop along to the Field and follow Lonely and Chalk Rabbit through a year as they try to cope with their fast expanding brood and handle a different seasonal challenge each month, from the cold of February to the wet of April and the heat of July.

BOARD BOOK - Lucky New Year! - Mary Man-Kong

Illustrated by Chi Chung
Golden Books, 2008
$9.99
6 double-page board book spreads

Pop-up, flip books are really quite fascinating. This one's cool, telling a little abouot the Chinese New Year - this year beginning on Feb. 14th with festivities running for fifteen days.

Calligraphy for gung hay fat choy, a wheel that you can turn to match yourb irth year with the animal year, a broom to sweep back and forth, an orange to sniff'n smell, dim sum containers to open, choptsicks to maneuver, "hong baos" envelope to open, dragon eyes to open and close and a big pop dragon as the finale. Lots of information for little ones about some of the traditions that are part of the Chinese New Year.

Lots of fun. If I could afford to start a pop-up collection, this would be included.

The True Story of Little Red Riding Hood - Agnese Baruzzi & Sandro Natalini

Published 2007, in US 2009
Templar/Candlewick
Rating: 4.5
Ages 3+
$14.99

This is a prequel to the originial Red Riding Hood Story with letters to pull out of envelopes, doors to open, sheer shower curtains and gingham aprons to peek behind, pages of books to turn, tabs to pull, paper wheels to rotate , popups and popouts and glitter - altogther 16 pages, plus endpapers, of interactive entertainment with a good story to boot!

Wolf want to be good, so he asks the nicest person in the forest, Little Red Riding Hood, to teach him how. First on the list is to stop eating meat. She teaches him well, he soon becomes the nices person in the forest -- to Riding Hood's chagrin. So she decides to change him back (and we know the rest of the story to come....)

Delightful!

Winter in White - Robert Sabuda

A Mini Pop-Up Treat
Published: 2007
Small, 4 X 6 size
Metallic aqua cover

When snowflakes sprinkle (3 silver-tipped flakes)
Welcoming winter (snowman)
A silent hush of snowy white (angel)
Making deep, dark forests bright (antlered reindeer)
Gliding through glistening chill (twirling skater)
Sliding down smooth frosty hills (sled & rider)
Blanketing trees with downy drifts (evergreen with metallic gold star & balls)
Bringing peaceful sounds of nature's gifts. (2 doves unwrapping a package)

This WAS a pop-up treat. It made me remember years ago, when I was an Ozette in Oz Children's Bookstore in Southwest Harbor, Maine, two women who came in one afternoon. They collected pop-up books...had a huge collection....and referred to a big notebook to see whether they could find any new books for their collection. They did. I'd forgotten that completely until I remembered, for some reason, when I was reading this book. Ahh, the human brain.

This book is quite a work of art. And I love the snazy verbs!