Inside Outside by Anne-Margot Ramstein and Matthias Arégui {Review & 2-Book Giveaway 2-Winners USA/CANADA}

Books without words can seem to be worthless because the whole issue of literacy is the ability to read and write WORDS. Since early man, the desire and skill to communicate has been expressed. First of all the spoken word was the means of communication and then forms of drawings to represent their lives. So the transition to the means to write and read words is an achievement of mankind that should be guarded and appreciated.

So why the "wordless books" or books without words in today's world?

The simple reason is that the author/artist is encouraging the young reader to approach these works as adventures in discovery by the attention to minute detail.  Now let's look at two books whose approach is the concept of wordless "reading."

Inside Outside by Anne-Margot Ramstein and Matthias Arégui

ISBN: 9781536205978
Hardcover $18.99
Preschool-Grade 3
Buy on Amazon

My thoughts:  I like the concept of having children take the time to peruse the entire image and find details. I also like the concept of this book that causes the child to explore relationships between the outside and the inside. Snowing or storming outside;  safe and dry inside. Unhatched duckling inside; mama duck with babies outside. Diggers above ground or outside; a man inside a crystal cave exploring.

The illustrations are bold with limited detail but enough to enable the child to observe and understand the difference between the inside on one page and the outside on the next.

I can see this book being used in a variety of ways. Young children will delight in finding the details and learning the concept of what happens inside and what happens outside. I can also see this being used to some degree in a Special Education class to help these older students with limited understanding grasp concepts that border on being abstract.

About the book: From the creators of Before After comes another striking book of opposites, this time exploring the concepts of within and without with bright, bold graphics.

Safe inside its shell, a baby bird prepares to brave the world. A spelunker descends into a wide and glittering cavern while fellow explorers cluster around a crack in the earth. Fire-red ants march busily around their anthill, oblivious of a hungry anteater waiting above. Smart and stylish, this oversize art book takes a unique approach to the concept of inside and outside, offering clever and unexpected examples that will delight readers and spark conversations about context and perspective. Inside Outside is sure to find a place in collections, on coffee tables, in classrooms, and anywhere curious minds can be found.

Before After by Matthias Arégui & illustrated by Anne-Margot Ramstein 

ISBN: 9780763676216
Preschool-Grade 3
Hardcover $19.99
Buy on Amazon

My thoughts: The author and illustrator have created a  fascinating piece that will definitely open wide the doors of contemplation and discussion as to what is first and what comes after. Or rather which comes first and which comes later. But then.... we begin and end with day or is it night we begin and end with....

The two-page spreads show simple before and after such as acorn and mighty oak, caterpillar and butterfly. The illustrations are both bold and subdued. The color pallet distinguished by distinctly bold colors as well as some soft pastels. The drawings which are digitally generated are clean, clear, and simplistic.

This is definitely a book that school classrooms and libraries of every ilk need to procure. There is so much to be contemplated and there are concepts to be discussed and explored. A definite winner.

About the book: Everyone knows that a tiny acorn into a mighty oak grows, and a caterpillar emerges into a butterfly. But in this book, it's also true that a cow can result in both a bottle of milk and a painting of a cow, and an ape in a jungle may become an urban King Kong. Just as day turns into night and back again, a many-tiered cake is both created and eaten down to a single piece. Each spread or sequence of spreads explores a before and after.

 ~+~ GIVEAWAY ~+~

2 Winners Each Receive Both Books

Begins April 14

Ends May 12 at 12:01 a.m. EDT

Open to USA/CANADA

NO P.O. BOXES, Please

(Canadian winners: phone number is required)

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DISCLOSURE: I received a copy of both books from Candlewick Press to facilitate my review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given. Winners' copies are provided and shipped directly to the winner by Candlewick Press.