I'm not sure how it got to be the end of August already or how I'm only just getting around to putting these two board books up on the blog, but here they are! A series published by Penguin Kids, The Wizard of Oz and Jack and the Beanstalk are now presented in board book format for the youngest listeners and observers. An age appropriate introduction to the classic story, The Wizard of Oz introduces readers to Dorothy, her dog Toto, her family, and the story that follows after a "vicious cyclone whirls through their home." With L. Frank Baum's beloved characters -- the Good Witch, Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Lion (and of course, Dorothy and Toto) -- it's wonderful to be able to introduce these characters to children at such a young age. Children will also love the idea of following a yellow brick road throughout the book.
In Jack in the Beanstalk, the format of the book is very similar: readers are introduced to Jack, his family, and the story that follows after Jack returns home with magic beans instead of money after selling the family's cow. I think my favorite page is the one below as the page opens up vertically and creates an exciting view of what it would be like to be on a beanstalk taller than any nearby skyscraper.
There's one page that I think might be a tad scary for very young children (below) but it definitely depends on the child as well as how old the child is when listening to this book.
I'd also like to mention that these are the first two abridged tales of The Wizard of Oz and Jack and the Beanstalk that depict Dorothy and Jack as people of color. A quick Amazon search for "The Wizard of Oz book" will quickly show you that Carely Gledhill's illustrations of Dorothy and Jack are a long overdue first. An engaging series, I hope children and families will enjoy them!
Other stories in the series include Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and A Little Princess.
Lastly, I'd like to thank HereWeRead for recommending these books to me and thank you to Penguin Kids for publishing them.
Enjoy!