Ta-Da! by Kathy Ellen Davis, illus. Kaylani Juanita
Source: Hardcopy courtesy of Raincoast Books. Thank you!
Publication: June 26, 2018 by Chronicle Books
Book Description:

What makes a good story? One little girl thinks it’s a princess with magic powers that can (ta-da!) overcome any obstacle. Her friend thinks it’s (dun dun duh!) a host of dragons, pirates, and volcanos that cause total chaos. But as each of their stories intertwine and interact, these two young storytellers soon learn that a good story needs both destruction and triumph, conflict and resolution. Ta-Da! is an irresistible celebration of imagination, storytelling, and the joys of collaboration.

If you are in the mood for a very fun, totally appealing, winningly illustrated picture book, Ta-Da! might be the perfect pick for you. The picture book debut of both author Kathy Ellen Davis and illustrator/artist Kaylani Juanita, Ta-Da! features a young duo of friends who have pretty different takes on what makes a story good. The young girl in Ta-Da!– with the help of her gallant and amenable little dog- likes to use “Ta-Da!” to make story turns like scary fire-breathing dragons into kind dragons that fly “away into the sunset”. The girl’s friend, on the other hand, relishes the use of “Dun Dun Duh!” to make pirates attack and take prisoners, and have people living “horrible ever after”. Readers see one wonderfully imagined scenario after another, with the young friends going back-and-forth, ta-da-ing and dun-dun-duh-ing, fixing or putting the kibosh on the others’ imagined scene after imagined scene. But after one big flourish of a ta-da! that erases the young boy’s attempts to shake up the story with conflict, the young boy says “never mind” and walks off. At first, the young girl thinks how perfectly smooth and calm things are, how lovely the happily ever after is…until it’s really…not! Is there a way for the two friends to make their different approaches to storytelling work so that they can both have a good time…together? A truly fun, engaging story start to finish with delightfully vibrant full-page illustrations (I am IN LOVE with Juanita’s artwork!) that emphasizes collaboration (and highlights the utter magic of stories and make-believe!), Ta-Da! is a treat for an enthusiastic read-aloud, as well as for quiet reading exploration. Beware, though, you might just have too much fun exclaiming “TA-DA!” and “DUN DUN DUH!”! What a terrific debut; I hope we see more children’s lit from Kathy Ellen Davis and Kaylani Juanita!

I received a copy of this title courtesy of Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt: Changing Picture Book by Michael Rosen, illus. Helen Oxenbury
Source: Hardcopy courtesy of Penguin Random House Canada. Thank you!
Publication: May 22, 2018 by Candlewick Entertainment
Book Description:

Bear lovers rejoice! Pull the tabs and watch the pictures transform in an interactive edition of the award-winning classic.

Follow and join in the family’s excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river, and squelch through the mud in search of a bear. Pull the tabs to change the pictures along the way — we’re going to catch a big one!

“We’re going on a bear hunt.
We’re going to catch a big one.
What a beautiful day!
We’re not scared.

Uh-oh!…”

And so begins the arguably well-known, much-recited and often-read classic (from 1989!) We’re Going on Bear Hunt, by prolific author Michael Rosen, illustrated by celebrated illustrator Helen Oxenbury. This “changing picture book” edition is an innovative version of the classic picture book, with pull tabs that slowly transform a page’s inset black and white image into a colour image that magically blends into the full-colour page it is nestled in. I personally love this interactive element to the story; it brings a fun freshness to this classic! I have seen how my three year-old has been absolutely adoring this particular edition: now you’re not just working with the catchy refrain and fun noises to mimic, you also have the addition of the tabs which add an interactive, playful element for children, getting them even more into the story. This is great interactive and fun edition of a classic!

I received a copy of this title courtesy of Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.