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Open This Little Book
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What will you find when you open this little book? A fun story? Sweet characters? Enticing pictures? Yes! But much more. Open this book and you will find...another book...and another...and another. Debut author Jesse Klausmeier and master book creator Suzy Lee have combined their creative visions to craft a seemingly simple book about colors for the very youngest readers,
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Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
January 1st 2013
by Chronicle Books
(first published October 2012)
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This is such a fun idea for a book, you open the front page and a smaller book is inside. A character each then tells you to open the next book until it gets very small and then the characters close the books. I think children will really enjoy the novelty of this book of books, for me I wanted a bit more of a story going on. Certainly a book I would recommend taking out of the library.
This book spoke to me. It said "Wake up you! There are still clever and creative people who are still making books that will surprise and delight and remind you why children's books can be so much darn fun!" The inclusion of LeVar Burton in the author's dedication was just too perfect.
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I felt a little cheated by this book. While the design is awesome, there's not much story or cleverness even beyond the basic idea of the book. It's a book in which a creature opens a book, which reveals another book, which when opened reveals yet another book and so on, but the words don't reveal anything further than what you would otherwise gather from the illustrations. It might just as well have been a wordless story. Maybe it's the nerd in me, but I had probably been hoping either for the
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This review really comes from my four-year-old granddaughter, Emma. She asked me to read it twice in a row, and could help me "read" it by following the pattern. She asked me if she could take it home. Before she left our house, she read it to her mom. Engaging with an interactive design and a pro-reading message.
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This little book celebrates the power and the actual physical act of turning pages and conducting the story manually. It is a true visual treat and encourages the reader to go forth and discover a whole new world of books. The reader opens an increasingly tiny series of books within a book- each adding a layer of colour and script until the whole book itself displays a rectangle of rainbow colours. The pencil and watercolour illustrations are created with soft colours and then digitally manipula
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A cumulative lift-the-flap-ish picturebook in which a group of animals (and one giant) help each other to read an ever-decreasing selection of books and then close the ever-increasing selection. Debut author, Jesse Klausmeier and Suzy Lee play here with the form and shape of books. This postmodern picturebook takes us through the adventures of a ladybird, frog, rabbit, bear and giant who each have their own book and introduce us to the next whose cover and back nicely match the protagonist. Ther
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File this one under "so good I actually cried tears of jealousy that I hadn't written it."
Not only a masterpiece of meta-fiction for those of us who are simply book people, it's also a great jumping off place for kids to make up their own stories about the many animal characters, each reading their own book. My 2 year old was entranced, turning each page, smaller and smaller, and then inspecting the animals in the library on the last page. We read it three times, right in a row. And bonus, the a ...more
Not only a masterpiece of meta-fiction for those of us who are simply book people, it's also a great jumping off place for kids to make up their own stories about the many animal characters, each reading their own book. My 2 year old was entranced, turning each page, smaller and smaller, and then inspecting the animals in the library on the last page. We read it three times, right in a row. And bonus, the a ...more
3.5 STARS
This is my second time with Open This Little Book. I think it's very cute, but I was not completely wowed by it. I guess I wanted more of a "story" to this book about stories. That said, the concept is a lot of fun -- I loved little books as a kid and I did feel a rush of child-like delight opening each of the "little books" in this bigger book -- and I could see it inspiring children not only with reading but with creating their own little books. And the illustrations do have some wond ...more
This is my second time with Open This Little Book. I think it's very cute, but I was not completely wowed by it. I guess I wanted more of a "story" to this book about stories. That said, the concept is a lot of fun -- I loved little books as a kid and I did feel a rush of child-like delight opening each of the "little books" in this bigger book -- and I could see it inspiring children not only with reading but with creating their own little books. And the illustrations do have some wond ...more
All I can say right away is HOORAY!
I would have loved this book as a child.
I love it as an adult.
Anytime a book can be a book but be more than a book, I'm in.
I LOVED turning the pages and seeing the books getting smaller and smaller,
and wondering what was going to happen.
As an adult, I marveled at how it was all put together so perfectly.
The story is simple but something that you would return to again and again.
And I love the ending. It would make a great poster for a library.
This book is PURE A ...more
I would have loved this book as a child.
I love it as an adult.
Anytime a book can be a book but be more than a book, I'm in.
I LOVED turning the pages and seeing the books getting smaller and smaller,
and wondering what was going to happen.
As an adult, I marveled at how it was all put together so perfectly.
The story is simple but something that you would return to again and again.
And I love the ending. It would make a great poster for a library.
This book is PURE A ...more
Well that was just freaking magical.
Open the full-sized picture book and inside you find a series of nesting books, each smaller than the one before. The stories in the books also nest with one another. First the reader opens the Little Red Book and discovers ladybug who is opening the Little Green Book where frog is the character. On and on it goes, until the story reaches a little twist in the little books. Then the stories unwind as the books are closed one by one. It’s impossible to not be charmed by the design and concept.
Deb ...more
Deb ...more
Ok. This book might be a little hard to explain, so watch the book trailer first.
Ready?
Ok, you get the point, right? An assortment of characters (animals) all open up a book within a book within a book within a book... etc. It's very meta but the illustrations keep it grounded in a very traditional look, kind of reminiscent of Arnold Lobel's work. Although the concept isn't something I've never seen before, I still thought that it was rather unique and clever. When Press Here came out, I thought ...more
Ready?
Ok, you get the point, right? An assortment of characters (animals) all open up a book within a book within a book within a book... etc. It's very meta but the illustrations keep it grounded in a very traditional look, kind of reminiscent of Arnold Lobel's work. Although the concept isn't something I've never seen before, I still thought that it was rather unique and clever. When Press Here came out, I thought ...more
Wow. The level of thought and expertise that went into the design of this book amazes me, starting with the endpapers (gray raindrops to start which transform into rainbow colored raindrops at the back). The storytelling works on so many levels - there's the simple story the text tells, the items shared and exchanged by the friends, the absolutely brilliant use of color, and the underlying, very subtle message about how friendship, kindness, and sharing stories can change your world - making it
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"Open This Little Book" is brilliant in it's originality and simplicity: a book within a book within a book, and so on. But beyond the initial novelty, it's so much more: a celebration of the physical act of reading a book, a visual treat to discover each shrinking page sneakily constructing a rainbow, and a conclusion that encourages the reader to discover a entire world of books. Quite a big feat for a book that humbly describes itself as "Little".
Author Jesse Klausmeier makes a bold debut, pr ...more
Author Jesse Klausmeier makes a bold debut, pr ...more
The design for this book is quite unique, clever, and intriguing, and allows young readers to marvel in delight at the story within a story within a story, eight different ones in all. As readers open each book, they find another, smaller book, and a storyline running through each one. One of the best parts of the books is how each of the little book covers mirrors some element and color in the book's content; for instance, Little Green Book features lilypads on its cover. There is also a friend
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Open This Little Book is a book not quite like any you have read before. It's a simple and quiet story that unfolds as the reader opens an increasingly tiny series of books within the book--each one adding a layer of color until the whole book itself is a rectanagle rainbow. You'll open a little red book and read about Ladybug who opens a little green book and reads about Frog who opens another and another book about increasingly larger creatures, until Bear opens a little blue book about a Gian
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This book isn't so much a story as an homage to the world of reading books. It features a very clever concept of books contained within books in a rainbow of colors. The narrative is very short and children of all ages will enjoy the diminishing size of each successive book. We really enjoyed reading this book together.
After reading some of the reviews here on Goodreads, I realize that I missed some of the details in the pictures that add another layer to the story. I think this one deserves a ...more
After reading some of the reviews here on Goodreads, I realize that I missed some of the details in the pictures that add another layer to the story. I think this one deserves a ...more
This is fun little book with multiple books inside. It first starts off with a bear opening one book, and then another, then another, etc. Eventually it gets too small and then you close each book once more. The thing I liked about this was how interactive and fun it was! It was awesome seeing each book get smaller and bigger and it was fun to flip through. It’s a really fast read, I felt like, but it is definitely entertaining. I think that this would suit really young children well because it
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First of all: it's dedicated to LeVar Burton! Secondly: it's a wonderful love song to reading. It's got nested books inside. It's got adorable animals. There's a giant! A ladybug! It's a book that is visually very striking- when one is in the exact middle of the book, there's a rainbow. This is a book for people who love to read to read to people they want to grow up loving to read. Not to mention it's a little like Cloud Atlas in its symmetry. A veritable home run. Now, someone bring me some ki
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A clever, tactile-driven book best used in tandem with a child and parent/facilitator. The artwork has a lot of detail for a book that is essentially on the level of a color-based board book, so it might be distracting to a child left on their own of very young age. That said, it's full of delightful, fun art and has just enough eye candy for deeper educational highlights should the facilitator wish to pursue it.
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As a fan of The Jolly Postman growing up, I have a soft spot for books-within-books. This one is a super fun construction of many nesting books, each with their own design and story! If you're of the age having graduated from board books, and are ready for picture books with simple, fun, layered stories, you should dive right into Open This Little Book. There's a ton of details to find and a great ending to satisfy. ...more
Dec 03, 2013
Judy
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
picture book fanciers and pre-schoolers
Weirdly fascinating, individual, highly original and yet evocative of vintage favourites such as 'Goodnight Moon'. Expertly and yet very loosely handled illustrations with a lot of sophisticated layering and a tricky (and also kind of simple) novelty format. It's a one-of-a-kind. I think pre-schoolers up to around grade 2 or 3 could be equally fascinated by it. But the pre-schoolers will want to read it a hundred times.
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This book is delightful and the design and execution are perfect for the concept. As you turn each page, you enter another story, but each of the stories are connected. It's fun because each of the books inside the main book are smaller than the previous book, and the readers of those books keep getting bigger. Take a chance on this book, especially if you are dealing with concepts of larger and smaller.
www.lockheed40books.com ...more
www.lockheed40books.com ...more
As a middle school librarian I'm on the search for picture books but those that I can use with students in grades 6 - 8. I'm looking for those that exemplify or deepen the message of my or my colleague's curriculum.
This book could be used in conjunction with my "book whisperer" unit when I share the rights of readers to reinforce the concepts of book selection, book sharing and going onto the next book.
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This book could be used in conjunction with my "book whisperer" unit when I share the rights of readers to reinforce the concepts of book selection, book sharing and going onto the next book.
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This book is a surprise when you open it. and open it. and open it. :)
When I was a wee little 'un I had a Tommy Tippy cup. On that cup was a picture of Tommy holding a cup with the same picture on it, and that picture had that picture ... and so on. It was my first time to wonder about how things go on and on forever. This book reminded me of that. It's fun and amusing and goes on and on ... for awhile. It's a great idea for a story, and enjoyable. ...more
When I was a wee little 'un I had a Tommy Tippy cup. On that cup was a picture of Tommy holding a cup with the same picture on it, and that picture had that picture ... and so on. It was my first time to wonder about how things go on and on forever. This book reminded me of that. It's fun and amusing and goes on and on ... for awhile. It's a great idea for a story, and enjoyable. ...more
I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I received this book, but it was not what I found inside. I have enjoyed other books illustrated by Suzy Lee and this is no exception. Don't want to say much because I don't want to spoil the experience. This book comes out the first week of January. Definitely take a look at it.
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Love it!! Open this little book and find a littler book...and then littler...and then littler. There are characters and colors to be learned, too, not to mention the always-wonderful illustrations of Suzy Lee. "For my parents and grandparents: my first teachers and librarians. And for LeVar Burton."
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What a clever idea -- books within books. This is something that just wouldn't work the same way in a digital format. The color schemes and the different reading animals would have a lot of appeal for kids.
And I love that the big blue giant is female and that you don't see anything of her except her hands. ...more
And I love that the big blue giant is female and that you don't see anything of her except her hands. ...more
The design of this picturebook is super cool:
And Suzy Lee's illustrations are beautiful and rich:
However, I wish there was more of a story... ...more
And Suzy Lee's illustrations are beautiful and rich:
However, I wish there was more of a story... ...more
There is no doubt that this book is charming--it really is. But I found it to be more style than substance--it's really cool layout and design, and a sweet homage to books, but not one I'd ever reread.
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Readers also enjoyed
Jesse's debut picture book, Open This Little Book, illustrated by Suzy Lee, was named an Amazon Top Pick for January 2013, and received a starred review in Kirkus Reviews.
Jesse was born and raised in Madison, WI. The daughter of two teachers, Jesse has been reading and writing stories for as long as she can remember. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, Jesse worked at Nic ...more
Jesse was born and raised in Madison, WI. The daughter of two teachers, Jesse has been reading and writing stories for as long as she can remember. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, Jesse worked at Nic ...more
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