Snowboy 1, 2, 3

Publishers Weekly

Debut author Joe Wahman teams up with his wife for a winter-themed counting book that swings between charming and creepy. Decked out in stockings and a hunter’s cap, a scarecrowlike snowboy sits “all alone” in the forest. “Two children unaware,” soon appear, but the story follows other figures, including other snowpeople and a fox that attempts to lure nine rabbits with carrots. Wendy Wahman’s digital artwork features a cheerful palette, but unintentionally unsettling details—a cluster of snowpeople’s “three smiles made of stone” are downright chilling—make this an odd read. Ages 3–up. (Oct.)

From the Publisher

Praise for A Cat Like That:

“Cat lovers will be instantly smitten, and even those who aren’t as immediately enthusiastic may well be won over by this slinky, strong-minded, creature.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The dynamic artwork and playful prose make this an appealing book to share individually with a prospective cat owner or in a cat-themed storytime.” —School Library Journal

“An attractive primer for kids who love cats—or may someday.” —Booklist

“A perfect, un-scolding introduction to basic cat etiquette for youngsters.” —Seattle’s Child

 

Praise for Don’t Lick the Dog:

“I’m passionate about helping children (and their parents) understand how best to safely interact with dogs, and this book perfectly encapsulates my philosophies on the matter in a really fun and engaging way.” —Victoria Stilwell, host of It’s Me or the Dog

“In this vividly illustrated and smartly written tutorial, Wahman runs through a set of rhyming tips for any child encountering a potential four-legged friend. . . . No matter the mood, the illustrations strike a perfect balance, using a spiky style reminiscent of papercraft atop bright, single-color backgrounds. . . . Gentle self-defense suggestions close this unique offering.” —Booklist

“Eye-popping colors and exaggerated shapes with sharp edges are the defining characteristics of Wahman’s distinctive illustrations for this how-to on meeting new canine friends.” —Kirkus Reviews

“This colorful picture book provides humorous information on how to make friends and interact with dogs.” —School Library Journal

School Library Journal

PreS-K—This counting book is enlivened by vibrant Adobe Photoshop illustrations. The story starts with "one snowboy all alone./Two children unaware./Three ancient apple trees./Four apples in the air." It goes up to ten carrots on a party cake and counts back down to one snowboy at the end. Each page has one sentence of rhyming text. Initially there is a lot of white space that soon turns into extremely busy multicolored pages. The quirky snowpeople and snowcat interact with the children and the animals and a number of small visual details add most of the humor. On one page, a child drops a glove, which is picked up by a raven; the raven is seen with it on a number of successive pages until the count has gone back to two, where the child retrieves it. Spiders spin snowflake-shaped webs, and bunnies frolic in the background. Some of the illustrations have an almost woodcut quality. Other aspects, particularly the backgrounds, are very flat. This is a counting book where there isn't any confusion about the number stated on that spread and the number of items to count. A serviceable seasonal addition.—B. Allison Gray, Goleta Public Library, CA

Kirkus Reviews

Even the sparkles on the cover may not be enough to redeem this wintry counting book, the author's debut. The almost nonexistent story loosely follows a snowboy as he adventures across the snowy landscape, meeting and playing with friends along the way and escaping from a fox who wants to eat his new rabbit pals. Numbers connect everything as the text counts from one to 10 and back down again in both numbers and numerals. This is a rhyming book, though the rhymes cross page turns: "One snowboy all alone. // Two children unaware. // Three ancient apple trees. // Four apples in the air." This interrupts the rhythm, particularly for children who wish to linger over Wendy Wahman's digital illustrations. Sharply defined, stylized shapes and flat, though vibrant, colors mark her distinctive illustrative style, but it may not be to everyone's taste, with its flower-patterned fish, fixedly-smiling snow people and unkindness of unfriendly-looking ravens. The details that readers are likely to enjoy are often too small to see--the knitting spiders, for instance. Indeed, the tiny Photoshop illustrations will make this difficult to share with even small groups. Also, even the youngest of children may spot the gloves amid what should be the "Eight mittens in a row." Count on skipping this one in favor of a celebration of winter that has a more obvious storyline. (Picture book. 3-5)