A Mammoth in the Fridge

A Mammoth in the Fridge

Michaël Escoffier & Matthieu Maudet

Noah found a Mammoth in the fridge. No really, he did and it's stuck. Mum calls the fire brigade and the Mammoth runs off scared. He runs up a tree and it's up to Noah to rescue him. Mammoths like  carrots, right?

The title alone should entice everyone to read this quirky picture book. With only four colours used throughout the book, the illustrations are simple but different and compliment the overall feel of the story. Easy enough to read and is straight forward for beginners such as 3 year olds. The Mammoth and his silly nonsense is a cute bedtime story that represents the innocence of a child's imagination.  

Penguin's Hidden Talent

Penguin's Hidden Talent

Alex Latimer

There's a talent show about to happen in Penguin's town but Penguin has no talent. All his friends have one like Bear. He juggles appliances and Albatross can swallow a whole marlin! They all try to help him but all Penguin can do is hiccup. He is quite organised and helpful. What talent will Penguin reveal?

Penguin feels inadequate compared to all the other animals as they can do great things.  Doesn't matter if you don't have a medal or can't play an instrument, it's about figuring out what you're good at and not to compare yourself with others. What becomes of Penguin is a good message to kids (and everyone else) that everyone has a skill, you just have to find it and use it. The illustrations are extremely cute and Latimer uses a lot of block colors which can be quite simple but they are effective and delightful.

This is a talent show not to be missed, even the King of Norway makes an appearance.

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Oh, the Places You'll Go

Dr Seuss

Dr Seuss  encourages YOU to take on this thing called Life. You'll go far, you'll meet challenges and sometimes things wont go the way you want. But keep on moving and you'll get there, wherever you want to go.

This book is Dr Seuss through and through with crazy words and impeccable rhymes. You could be a teenager just finishing high school, in your 20s figuring out university/gap year or in your 40s still wondering about life, this book will inspire you in every way possible. The illustrations remind me of the scene in Dumbo where he drank some potent water (my guess is VODKA) and started to have hallucinations. Colours, swirls and true Dr Suess characters like the Hakken-Kraks. It's the go to graduation gift but it even talks about slumps "where you're not in for much fun" so you could be having a crisis at any age ( 27) and the main thing to remember is "step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Art."

This Moose Belongs to Me

This Moose Belongs to Me

Oliver Jeffers

Wilfred finds a moose. He names him Marcel. Wilfred gives commands to Marcel. Marcel does what he wants. One day, someone else claims Marcel was his moose first. What will Wilfred do?

I can't express enough how amazing Oliver Jeffers is. He delivers yet another visually stunning picture book and double whammy's it with a quirky and random story about a kid finding a moose and keeping him as a pet. This is by far Jeffers' best detailed illustrated book. Due to the detailed landscapes, they really should dominate the page but he somehow manages to bring the focus to Wilfred and Marcel throughout the book. You can pick out a Jeffers drawing out of a million along with the font. As always the font is the same and is what I like to call the 'Olly-J' font. This is perfect for the kid that reacts to visuals and has a creative mind. Adults, you are not excluded. Pick it up now!
-Marcel says so.

I Want My Hat Back

I Want My Hat Back

Jon Klassen

The Bear's hat is gone. He wants it back. He wanders around the forest asking every animal he sees, if they've seen his hat. One of them is not as honest as he seems. 

I Want My Hat Back is a straight to the point page turner with fantastic illustrations. Klassen uses simple but captivating watercolour drawings and his subjects show very little expressions until a pivotal moment which mirrors your own reaction. Dreaming of when the inside jacket will become a wallpaper print, I recommend this book to those who love understated illustrations and a good chuckle throughout a short yet delightful read.