Eric Hill Archives -

Best New Board Books – Masha and Her Sisters, All About Spot & Big Bug Log

March 27, 2017
goodreadswithronna
Ages 2-4, Ages 3-5, Ages 3-7, Animals, Animals - Bugs & Spiders, Animals - Dogs, Board Books - Interactive Books, Interactive Adventures, Juvenile Fiction, Lift-the-flap book, Novelty Books, Series Characters - Spot

A ROUNDUP OF DELIGHTFUL DIE-CUT BOARD BOOKS
Three new books your children will love!

Masha and Her Sisters
by Suzy Ultman
(Chronicle Books; $9.99, Ages 2-4)

Masha has four sisters and though they’re very different from one another, they fit together just beautifully in this treat for matryoshka doll fans. Presented in a clever 10 page, die-cut novelty book format, these colorful, folksy nesting dolls may be ubiquitous in Russia but never cease to entertain youngsters and adults. I know because I have a rather large collection of them at home from my many trips to Moscow and St. Petersburg. A great intro to Russian culture and storytelling because little ones can create their own tales about each sister represented: Natasha, Galya, Olya, Larisa, and Masha.

All About Spot
by Eric Hill
Frederick Warne/Penguin BYR; $9.99, Ages 3-5)

I don’t know any child who isn’t enamored of this adorable yellow dog with brown spots. This 10 page dic-cut board board in Spot’s familiar shape, is sturdy enough to withstand countless hours of reading and is a perfect way to share the carefree joys of childhood, or puppyhood in Spot’s case. Using simple rhyme, Hill brings Spot out into the rain and sun, introduces a few of his friends all having fun and makes spending time with Spot a highlight of any little one’s day.

Big Bug Log (A Bugsy Bug Adventure)
by Sebastien Braun
(Nosy Crow/Candlewick Press; $9.99, Ages 3-7)

Designed to resemble a log, this new die-cut board book is full of trails to follow, flaps to lift and lots of irresistible bug characters your kids will adore. “Bugsy Bug is going to see his grandma. She lives somewhere inside the Big Bug Log.” Now it’s your child’s turn to help Bugsy Bug choose the correct way to get there while encountering some cool places along the way including Mrs. B’s Treats, a busy restaurant, a library, a bedroom, a spider’s web and charming house on Hopper Street that Bugsy Bug’ grandma calls home. Definitely recommend picking up a copy of this and all Braun’s other board books, too!

Reviewed by Ronna Mandel

SPOT TURNS 30! A CELEBRATION & CONTEST

To celebrate the world’s favorite pre-school puppy, Spot, who happens to turns 30 this year, Good Reads With Ronna will give away one special prize package commemorating the 30th anniversary of Eric Hill’s beloved and world reknown Where’s Spot? book. Read below to find out details how you could win a copy of the book, a DVD and plush toy!

To enter for your chance to win, please click here and remember to write SPOT in the subject line. For rules, click here. The contest ends on May 18 so don’t wait. Good luck!

– Where’s Spot? The original lift-the-flap book by Eric Hill ($12.99, courtesy of G.P Putnam’s Sons)

– Where’s Spot? and other stories ($9.98,DVD courtesy of BBC), based on the best-selling books by Eric Hilll

– Spot plush toy ($10, courtesy of Kids Preferred)

Did you know that there are 50 million books in print in 60 languages in 100 countries around the world!?

Spot first bounded into print in
Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill in 1980 and since has become has become a global publishing phenomenon. Hill was a pioneer of the lift-the-flap format as a children’s book concept and his work was ground-breaking. He created Spot in the late 1970’s while working as a graphic designer. He had noticed that his two-year-old son was fascinated with the lift-the-flap mailing pieces he was designing for his advertising clients.

Although initially created just as a story to please his son, Where’s Spot? was published in 1980 and started a new publishing concept of ‘interactive’ books for babies. The combination of this format with Hill’s charming illustrations and easy-to-read text has kept Spot in the “spotlight” for 30 years. In 2008, Hill was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for his service to children’s literature.