Tag: Cindy Jin

VIP: Very Important Preschooler (Cindy Jin)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is VIP: Very Important Preschooler, written by Cindy Jin and illustrated by Ella Bailey, a sweet instruction manual for little ones entering their first classroom.

A group of five preschoolers welcome the reader to their classroom, where they are all VIPs: Very Important Preschoolers. Each day of the week, a different kid from the class acts as their teacher’s special helper, greeting classmates at the door, helping to set up and pass out supplies, acting as line leader, and so on. While each child gets a turn at being the special helper, they all emphasize the importance of teamwork and cooperation.

Short, sweet, and packed with cheerful encouragement. For little ones who are entering their first classroom environments this year, it can be helpful to explore not only the activities and relationships they can look forward to, but also their responsibilities to their teacher and classmates. This neat little board book helps introduce little ones to concepts like line leaders, cleanup leaders, or recess helpers, where they will be expected to act as authority figures and as a community, often for the first time. This is not a comprehensive look at starting preschool for the first time, but does explore a theme that most picture books on the topic do not, and quite well. Bailey’s classroom is charming and her characters diverse, the length is great for a quick read, and JJ enjoyed it. A good one to add to the list for preschool preparation, and we recommend it – Baby Bookworm approved.

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Into the Sand Castle: A Lift-the-Flap Book (Cindy Jin)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is Into the Sand Castle: A Lift-the-Flap Book, written by Cindy Jin and illustrated by Allison Black, an interactive board book that explores an undersea palace and its surprising inhabitants.

In a sea floor sand castle, complete with towering turrets and plenty of doors to explore, there lives a number of oceanic residents. From a friendly shark to grumpy king crab to an artistic octopus, little bookworms can have fun meeting some entertaining critters… and maybe even a magical surprise guest!

Underwater fun. Utilizing a creative cutout design and some absolutely adorable illustrations by Black, this board book takes a pretty basic premise and adds some colorful and engaging flair. The rhyming text is pretty simple to read, and even if the meter is a little inconsistent, the guessing game of who hides behind the lift-a-flap doors – and which door they’re hiding behind, as each spread features 2-3 flaps – is genuinely fun. Plus, I loved that the shark was characterized as “friendly” – anyone who knows about sharks know that they are usually painted as villains, which is pretty unfair for such an at-risk family of species. The length is perfect for the youngest of bookworms, and JJ really enjoyed the bright, colorful artwork and the multitude of interactive elements. Overall, this could be a fun one to kick off the summer, and we liked it. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

What’s Inside the Easter Egg?: A Lift-the-Flap Book (Cindy Jin)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is What’s Inside the Easter Egg?: A Lift-the-Flap Book, written by Cindy Jin and illustrated by Fiona Dulieu, an interactive Easter board book of baby animals.

On each page, little bookworms are presented with a colorful Easter egg and a rhyming riddle – can you guess who’s inside? Is it a puppy, a kitten, a duckling, or a chick? Or, is it everyone’s favorite fluffy Eaater ambassador, the Easter Bunny? The only way to find out is to lift the flap!

Lots of fun. This is a pretty simple book conceptually, and pulls off its themes very well. Each riddle gives clues as to the appearance of the baby animal being teased as well as a clue about the sound they make, so readers learning their animals will be able to play along and make guesses before the flaps – which are all in the shape of large Easter eggs decorated to give further clues about the animal inside – are lifted. The rhyme scheme isn’t particularly intuitive on the initial read-through, but is easy to get used to after the first few pages. Dulieu’s soft-edged and brightly-colored illustrations are wonderfully adorable and capture the spring seasonal theme perfectly. This is a short read for the very smallest bookworms, and JJ – a big fan of lift-the-flaps – really enjoyed this one. Overall, a sweet Easter treat that any little bookworms can enjoy. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

You Complete Me: A Sliding Pull-Tab Book (Cindy Jin)

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Hello, friends! Our book today was You Complete Me: A Sliding Pull-Tab Book, written by Cindy Jin and illustrated by Yuzhen Cai, a short and sweet love letter to the one who makes you whole.

Addressing the reader in first person, the text expresses that the speaker and reader make a perfect pair, and just like other perfect pairs, they work best when together. Like ice cream and a waffle cone, like a kite and string, like a ball and glove, one without the other is simply not complete.

Cute if occasionally awkward. Jin’s rhymes are sugar-sweet, chipper, and fun to read aloud, especially to a little one, and Cai’s kawaii-inspired artwork is absolutely darling. Some of the pairs don’t make as much sense as others – does a tire swing really need wind, or vice versa? – but for a very casual read-through these aren’t too noticeable. My main issue was the functionality of the “pull-tabs,” which did not have tabs at all. The reader has to physically push the moving element to make it go, and while this design is clever in some places, such as one page’s interactive element setting up the next’s, it was often difficult to get the element to move without something to grip, especially for small hands. Otherwise, length was fine for the very smallest bookworms, and JJ enjoyed the colorful illustrations. Overall, a middling yet enjoyable title, and Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Meet Your School! (Cindy Jin)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is Meet Your School!, written by Cindy Jin and illustrated by Melissa Crowton, an adorable interactive look at what makes a building a school.

With short rhyming couplets of text and a large cast of bipedal animals as students and staff, this lift-the-flap board book walks little readers through some of the common rooms found in a school. Bookworms follow the students of various species as they attend class, make projects in the art room, get active in the gym, eat their lunch in the cafeteria, and more. Along the way, there are secrets and surprises to explore behind the flaps, and fun details to find in the illustrations.

Delightful! From the cheerful, sweet illustrations that feature a variety of animal friends (including one in a wheelchair) to the bouncy rhymes that are easy and fun to read aloud, this makes for a great back-to-school read. The lift-the-flap theme lives up to its promise, and there are around 10 flaps to peek under on each two-page spread, letting readers peek into cabinets and drawers, behind doors and windows, and even just showing motion and activity in the classrooms. It’s a quick read, but JJ had a blast checking out all the flaps and exploring the different school rooms. This is a wonderfully fun way to celebrate the start of the school year, and we definitely recommend it – Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)