With an elegant and simple approach, this thought-provoking concept book shows young readers that everything in the world can be seen from infinite perspectives.
Each page compares colours, shapes, and objects in relation to each other. A triangle that is over one square is also under a circle. A circle that is pink also might be a flower. The artful, playful combinations of simple concepts and Higgins's rhythmic writing and expert arrangement of objects on the page make this book a perfect read-aloud, capable of entertaining, educating, and challenging readers in equal measure. There are multiple ways to read the book, allowing the book to work for several ages and reading levels at once. The educational value and sheer fun packed into this book's language and visual design will make it a huge hit with educators and librarians, new parents, and creative kids who are visual learners. This striking, delightfully different exploration of shape, colour, and patterns redefines what a picture book can be. Read it once, read it ten times. See something new every time.
About the Author :
Carter Higgins has worked as both a motion graphics designer and a librarian, two interests she combines in her blog, Design of the Picture Book, where she celebrates picture books through the lens of graphic design principles. She is an active member of SCBWI, a core member of the Picture Book Month team, and, most importantly, a former librarian at The John Thomas Dye School in Los Angeles. She's on Twitter at @CarterHiggins and lives in Los Angeles, California.
Review :
"[Circle Under Berry]opens the door for children to engage with color, geometry, and prepositions, too, just for good measure. And how could they resist, with a rhythmic text that makes use of such lush language; why look for yellow, green, and pink when you could find goldenrod, emerald, and magenta? A triumph of design and a beacon of possibility."--The Horn Book Magazine
"[A] striking exploration of shapes, colors, and patterns . . . The artwork is particularly distinctive, comprised of brightly hued, stylized shapes and objects created from cut-and-collaged, hand-painted papers digitally assembled on white backgrounds. . . . [Circle Under Berry is] an appealing choice for emerging readers [and] the emphasis on prepositions will aid English language learners as well."--Booklist Reviews
"[S]parkling and ingenious . . . will become a nursery staple. . . . [Circle Under Berry] positively tingles."--The Wall Street Journal
"[V]isually striking. . . carefully assembled. . . [and] inspired by an Eric Carle aesthetic. . . [Circle Under Berry] possesses a pleasing rhythm and subtle rhymes, positively begging to be read aloud: 'circle next to berry / square by bear by sweet // blue up high / pig down low / yellow in between.' Satisfying, engaging, and sure to entertain the toddlers at whom it is aimed."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Using hand-painted paper to create brilliantly hued, shape-based forms that appear against a clean white backdrop, Higgins (Bikes for Sale) economically examines ways to observe color, shape, pattern, and position. . . . [D]rawing readers' attention while achieving real grace as the items resolve into origami-like forms. . . Higgins offers seeds of conversations about naming and classification."--Publishers Weekly, starred review
