Hello! Our book today is Du Iz Tak? by Carson Ellis, a strange and wonderful look at a very small piece of the world.

Spotting a sprout in the ground, “Du iz tak?” one little bug asks of another in their special language (an invented tongue created by Ellis for the book), meaning “What is this?” It’s a small flower growing from the ground, and with the help of a few of their insect friends, they nurture the sprout and watch it grow, making a treehouse in its foliage. As the year passes, the readers watches how this tiny corner of the world grows, develops, and wilts with winter to return again in spring.

This was an adorable, if somewhat unusual book. As previously mentioned, all of the characters speak in a made-up language, which makes up the entirety of the text. The language is simple enough to decipher meaning and inflection through the lovely, folksy illustrations, and honestly fun to read, but I can imagine it being slightly confusing for some baby bookworms (JJ included). That being said, older kids would love it – translating the dialogue in the reader’s imagination is half the fun of the book. Still, JJ loved this one – the detailed illustrations are full of charm, and the concept of keeping the frame of view on the same setting page-to-page really makes it feel as though the reader is privy to a small, secret world where insects build treehouses and play fiddle by the light of the moon. The length is fine, and this is definitely a book that could grow with little ones. Baby Bookworm approved!