Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Mon Petit: Busy Day
Fiction
For ages 3 to 5
Simon and Schuster, 2018 ISBN: 978-1534412965
Every grownup knows that having a bored child around is never a good thing. Children need to be busy and engaged. However, it is not always easy to find ways to keep children occupied, especially when it is inclement outside or when the child is waiting in a doctor’s office or on a plane.
Thankfully, children’s book authors and illustrators understand that children like to be busy, and many of them have created books that are perfect for keeping the boredom blues at bay. This book is a just such a title. On every page children are presented with a question and they have to lift flaps, slid tabs, or turn a dial to answer that question. The questions asked encourage them to learn new words, to practice their counting, and more.
For example, on one spread we see an illustration showing a large paint brush and twelve watercolor paints. We are asked to name the colors and we can check our answers by lifting up each watercolor paint circle. Underneath we find some text and an illustration. Under the red paint circle we find a picture of a red strawberry and the words “Red like a strawberry.” Under the pink paint circle we see the words “Pink like a pig,” and sure enough there is a picture of a little pink pig.
Other activities that children will get to try in this book include finding matching pairs, counting, learning their opposites, and telling the time.
