You don’t find original and age-appropriate cardboard picture books that often, but these two new releases convince and inspire right away! Henrike Wilson, known for her unusually large-scale picture books such as “The Sheep Charlotte” or “The Little Santa Claus”, has taken a lot of restraint in her painting style for her new cardboard picture book and has dispensed with striking size. Nevertheless, she managed to keep her very own, expressive imagery. This creates clear, lively figures in simple scenes. Papa Piglet is also a really great papa, and the little piglet enjoys a great muddy rainy day with him on the playground. Everything drips and crunches when they finally get home. A bath in the tub wouldn’t be bad! Piglet sees it differently, however: “… But Piglet whizzes quickly around the corners. // It prefers to play hide-and-seek now! And it does not see at all: // Why should piglets be clean?” After all, there is a happy ending: “What piglet likes in particular? // Well, a dad’s bathing day!”. The funny and memorable verses are from Katja Reider. Great, sensual fun for all little ones from 2.
“Hey! Koko pees on Baba”
For her new cardboard picture book, Marianne Dubuc also changed her otherwise fine, witty-filigree painting style. For the little ones, she illustrates more expansively, dispenses with a variety of details and creates wonderful mini-scenes of closeness and security. On closer inspection, one discovers how skilfully Dubuc spins the small line of text on the double page with a single funny or surprising detail. Nothing is overloaded, every child aged one and a half and over can understand the message immediately. Koko, the little koala, always sits on his baba’s back so that nothing happens to him. He eats on Baba and his ice cream drips onto Baba’s head. Koko plays on Baba Ball and hits him in the middle of the forehead. And then: “Hey! Koko pees Baba”. Baba endures it with stoic equanimity. But one day Koko doesn’t want to sit on Baba anymore, he wants to play with the butterflies. He almost got lost in the process. “But in the evening Koko is back with Baba. Good night, Koko”. A warm-hearted picture book of protecting and letting go, of trying things out and becoming independent.
Katja Reider / Henrike Wilson: Off to the tub, piglet !, Hanser 2021, 20 pages. 10 Euro.
Marianne Dubuc: At Baba’s. Beltz & Gelberg 2021. 26 pages, 9 euros