CREATURE VS. TEACHER

Even the most studious kids know that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

This visually arresting, rhymed board book may be a quick read, but it says a lot with few words: roughly one word per page, in fact. Caregivers will recognize the setup immediately—a day in the life of the eponymous Teacher, a bespectacled kid in a lab coat with fuchsia, Einstein-esque hair, poring over formulae and experiments, and the Creature, a playful, green colossus that looks like a friendly version of Frankenstein’s monster. The stylized, colorful illustrations propel the story, told in rhymed couplets presented over a series of two-page vignettes. “Book,” reads a drawing of the Teacher, head buried in a tome. “Look!” yells the Creature, while showing off their juggling skills. Unfortunately, their efforts go unnoticed. Similarly, when the Creature invites the Teacher to go fly a “kite,” it never breaks the latter’s concentration; the Teacher continues feverishly to “write.” When the ever hopeful Creature suggests, “Dance,” though, the Teacher gives a glance and finally decides a recreation break is in order. Four scenes of silliness and play follow, at the end of which the Creature must “rest” while the Teacher picks up the book again. The rhyming text is a great way to get kids experimenting with sounds, and the playful, cool artwork suits the themes perfectly.

Slight? Right. But fun? A ton! (Board book. 6 mos.-3)