It's a Little Book: Lane Smith
September 07, 2011
Book: It's a Little Book
Author: Lane Smith
Pages: 24 (Board Book)
Age Range: 1-4
It's a Little Book is a Mommy Bookworm's dream. It's a Little Book is, as you might expect, a board book sibling to Lane Smith's It's a Book. A monkey in diapers has a book. His little baby donkey (jackass?) friend wants to know "What is that?".
The donkey keeps trying to find uses for this funny rectangular thing. "Is it for chewing?", "Is it for flying?", etc. The monkey just sits there, without expression, with a little hat on his head, saying "No." Until the end, when we learn: "It's for reading... It's a book, silly."
My favorite page is "Is it for calling?", as the donkey holds the book up to his head. [Just yesterday, my daughter had me saying "Hello" while holding a TV remote up to my ear.] But plenty of other toddler-friendly activities, like building, are represented.
Smith's illustrations have his trademark muted color scheme, and show a deadpan sense of humor. I love how the monkey just sits there, even as the donkey is acting up in crazy ways. The illustration of "Is it for quacking" is particularly funny.
It's a Little Book is a quick, fun board book read, full of activities that toddlers will be able to relate to. It's sized for small hands, and just right for chewing. Or building. Or even, dare I suggest, reading. Recommended for baby bookworms everywhere.
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (@MacKidsBooks)
Publication Date: August 30, 2011
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher
© 2011 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved.