So excited to see two new Phyllis Root books this spring! I love her work, but consider her too little-known. Her stories What Baby Wants and Kiss The Cow are favourites -- full of fun and storyteller-style repetition that kids love.
Flip, Flap, Fly! by Phyllis Root, illustrated by David Walker
The first, Flip, Flap, Fly, is perfectly pitched for babies and toddlers. It uses a baby bird’s outing to introduce a host of animals, with fun rhyming actions for each. Root is a master of rhyme and rhythm, and this book has a bouncing pattern that makes it wonderful for reading aloud.
My only quibble here is with the illustrations, which are in an oft-employed soft style that I don’t love, but that’s a matter of taste. It doesn’t take much away from the book, even for me, and I am reading this a lot to my young babe.
Toot Toot Zoom, by Phyllis Root, illustrated by Matthew Cordell
Toot Toot Zoom is aimed at older kids – preschoolers and even early grades. It tells the story of a fox who tries to drive his car over the mountain to find a friend, and on the way nearly runs into several animals, which he brings along. When automotive tragedy strikes and he is stuck on the far side, he discovers that his hitchhikers make great friends.
I love a good story of friendship, and Cordell’s cartoon-ish illustrations remind me of William Steig (a huge plus), so this should be a new favourite. Yet somehow, I have to admit that while it’s certainly fine for most authors, it’s not up to Root's greatest stuff. For a much better story of a broken-down car, try her terrific summer book Rattletrap Car.
A career Children’s Librarian, the Book Fairy (a.k.a. kittenpie) has worked in library systems in both New York and Toronto, and delights in sharing favourite books with kids of all ages. Since she can’t help but force books on people, she’s thrilled to have another place to do it without creeping people out the way she does at the bookstore.