Tatsuhide Matsuoka

In Translation
http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2019/09/04/in-translation-the-marvelous-tr....

Everything jumps (or in the case of a snail, tries valiantly to jump) - even you! Perfect for storytime.… (mehr)

I'm always a little suspicious of books that everyone is promoting - I find popularity suspect I guess. But this one thoroughly deserves all the buzz!

The book opens vertically, rather than from the side, and on the first "page" the reader sees a plain white background, stolid green frog, and the words, "A frog jumps." The next page shows the frog splayed out, white belly on display, and an exuberant BOING! accompanied by zippy blue lines. This pattern repeats itself with a kitten, dog, grasshopper, and other creatures, and with ever more exuberant "boings." Along the way, there are amusing digressions (the snail - not so good at jumping) a tandem jump, and the finishing touch of a little girl making the leap.

The pages are thinner cardboard than is usual in a board book, and the cover is a cheerful orange. Part of the humor comes from the tiny variations in expression on the animals' faces, from their completely blank stares in sitting position.

Verdict: Fun! Use in storytime to get kids jumping and caregivers giggling.

ISBN: 9781776572311; Published August 2019 by Gecko Press; Borrowed from another library in my consortium… (mehr)