Jean Jullien is an exciting new talent to hit the children’s book market. With his unique style and playful illustrations, he has created a board book that makes his young readers look at things from a different perspective.
Each turn of the page, presents us with a new way to imagine this rectangular shape of the double page. The book presents us with suprising views of the world: it becomes a gaping, open mouth, an open laptop, a set of piano keys with sheet music and a birdseye view of a man tightrope walker.
It’s a deceptively simple and playful concept and can be enjoyed simply as that alone. However, I feel it could be used to inspire children to explore other shapes in the world around them and develop their problem solving abilities. What if the book was a semi circle and the pages opened up into a circle? What could the images inside reveal?
My Verdict:
This is Not a Book is a playful, imaginative board book that encourages young minds to think outside of the box and explore the world around them.
Published by Phaidon.