Hotel Fantastic is a picturebook written and illustrated by Thomas Gibault. Whether you're a robot needing to recharge or a giant looking for extra legroom, the suites in this hotel are designed to cater to each guest's needs. Feeling hungry? Dine at the hotel's world-famous restaurant among princesses and pirates. Need a workout? A fully equipped gym and rooftop swimming pool serve beings of all shapes and sizes. And rest assured that your safety and security are a top priority --- an elite strike team is always at the ready. Pay no attention to the rumors you may have heard --- there's certainly no horrible creature threatening to attack the hotel at any moment.
Hotel Fantastic is a brightly illustrated ad fun picturebook. The majority of the story is detailing the wonders of the grand Hotel Fantastic. The crazy creatures that stay there, work there, and their activities are imaginative and well done. I enjoyed the descriptions and artwork depicting the pool, security team, and infirmary the most- they were amusing and unique. I like that clues to what the lurking evil is, and how it is not all that evil but will certainly bring the story to an end, can be found throughout the story. I like that the ending is a little bit of a twist, but not completely unexpected if readers pay attention to the clues, and think about the uniqueness of the amenities. Most of all, I like that the young boy telling the tale is not rude, mean, or in anyway shamed or embarrassed for playing with something that might go against gender stereotypes. That made me very happy and made me the story as a whole even more.
Pop! is
a picturebook written by Jason Carter Eaton and illustrated by Matt
Rockefeller. It is currently scheduled for release on July 3 2018. A
quiet afternoon of blowing bubbles and popping them turns into a
Planes, Trains, & Automobiles-style adventure, as our young
protagonist Dewey struggles to pop that one last bubble, The Bubble That
Got Away.
Pop! is
a fun story about determination and imagination. I enjoyed Dewey's
efforts to pop an elusive bubble, and the way the story took a lonely
kid on a grand adventure. I really liked that Dewey showed the ability
to entertain himself, determination to finish what he started, and the
imagination to make the well loved task of blowing and popping bubbles.
Dewey took something that is so basic to childhood, and made it his own
grand adventure, when other kids might have spent the day watching
television alone or pouting that there was no one to play with, or that
others did not invite him to play with them. He did not get mad, he made
his own fun, and enjoyed his day. The conclusion of long distance
companionship in bubble popping added a little heart twist at the end. I
thought the illustrations were lovely, and they had the soft, dream
like quality that matched the theme and action of the story, while not
being washed out or boring at any point.
Tobor is a picturebook by Guido van Genechten that is currently scheduled for publication on October 11 2017. Ben receives a very special present for his fifth birthday. Unlike Ben's stuffed animals who can't move on their own or talk, Tobor is different; with a press of his square nose, Tobor comes alive, suggesting and playing games, talking and asking questions and soon he becomes Ben's best friend. Sometimes friendship develops where you least expect it.
Tobor is a delightful picturebook with artwork that captured my attention right away. Ben plays with and interacts with his stuffed animals the way many imaginative children do, as if they are alive. However, when he is gifted with Tobor- a toy that can actually talk and play rather than one that can only do these things in his imagination, he is as obsessed as anyone would expect a child to be. I loved the adventures and interaction the pair have. I liked that Ben got tired of Tobor's constant desire to play. More than anything, I liked that Ben came to see that a toy that walks and talks is great, he also sees the importance and fun that can be found with a little more variety. I think could be a good classroom or family discussion starter about new friends and how different people play different ways, and that we can all come together and find a happy medium.
Argyle Fox is a picturebook by Marie Letourneau. Argyle Fox, with his signature style, wants to play outside on a springtime day, but the wind is wreaking havoc with his fun and games. As soon as he builds a card tower, climbs into a giant spider web, or takes up his pirate sword, here comes the wind: Woosh! Mama Fox tells grumpy Argyle that if he thinks long enough, he will come up with something to do. Following his mother’s suggestion and inspired by her knitting, he works all the pieces of his day together and creates the perfect solution.
Argyle Fox is the story of a young fox determined to play outside, but the wind is making his favorite games impossible to play. I like that he has so many ready options, and that he is willing to keep trying. I was a little annoyed at the need for all the crazy cool props that Fox had to play with, rather than the use of pure imagination and playing with friends. HOwever, when he finally gets around to his final activity attempt he uses some of those props to build his new springtime toy. I understand that he needed some of that stuff to make that possible, and that it made his previous play attempts that much more heartfelt, but I still would have liked more imagination and less costume. That being said, I still loved the book and wish I had some of thase play props when I was a kid.
Argyle Fox is a well drawn picturebook with a nice blend of imagination, lesson sharing, and fun. I love the message about creative thinking and the need to keep on trying. I think it would make a nice addition to school and public library collections.
