Thanks for the preview Jon, can't wait to read your new board books with my little daughter! Really nice to hear the praise for Taro Gomi's books, they are top favourites in our house as well. They always take you on a journey, even if not much seems to happen. Since you mentioned “Spring is Here”, you might enjoy “À bord du merveilleux navire” as well (sadly there's no English version yet), it has a similar story structure, but with a lot more details to enjoy for the little ones.
Please keep up these Substacks, Jon! You are always so full of insights. Thank you for these and for all your contributions to children's literature. Oh, and your facial expression after "Happy Election Day" was priceless. 😂
What a lovely reflection on the beauty of board books. I get what you mean about it being an object, too--it's such a joy to not only share the content with a baby or toddler, but to share the very idea of what a book *is* with them. Not ONLY is this is a cool object to chew on (literally and metaphorically)--but introducing them to the idea that books special portals to wonder that open, for them, whenever they want (or need).
That’s such a lovely way in-it totally captures the experience of a little one. When my child was very young and in that place where children are developmentally with object relations, an adult showed him her copy of a book I’d written and said, “I got my book.” And he corrected her, and said, “That’s MY book.” It was like watching his self emerge. Anyway, thank you for sharing. Those look wonderful.
Thanks for the preview Jon, can't wait to read your new board books with my little daughter! Really nice to hear the praise for Taro Gomi's books, they are top favourites in our house as well. They always take you on a journey, even if not much seems to happen. Since you mentioned “Spring is Here”, you might enjoy “À bord du merveilleux navire” as well (sadly there's no English version yet), it has a similar story structure, but with a lot more details to enjoy for the little ones.
Please keep up these Substacks, Jon! You are always so full of insights. Thank you for these and for all your contributions to children's literature. Oh, and your facial expression after "Happy Election Day" was priceless. 😂
What a lovely reflection on the beauty of board books. I get what you mean about it being an object, too--it's such a joy to not only share the content with a baby or toddler, but to share the very idea of what a book *is* with them. Not ONLY is this is a cool object to chew on (literally and metaphorically)--but introducing them to the idea that books special portals to wonder that open, for them, whenever they want (or need).
Looking forward to your BB series!
That’s such a lovely way in-it totally captures the experience of a little one. When my child was very young and in that place where children are developmentally with object relations, an adult showed him her copy of a book I’d written and said, “I got my book.” And he corrected her, and said, “That’s MY book.” It was like watching his self emerge. Anyway, thank you for sharing. Those look wonderful.
This video made MY day! I can’t wait to have MY own copy.