One is Not a Pair by Britta Teckentrup
I was the type of child that would sit indoors on a sunny day with their head in a puzzle book rather than getting anything important like Vitamin D. I may be pasty white nowadays, but at least I know my way around a good spot-the-difference book when I see one. And I spy with my little eye, one right here.
| Onelink title is Not a Pair by Britta Teckentrup | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Sam Tyler
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| Summary: A beautifully crafted and illustrated spot the odd-one-out book that lifts itself from the run of the mill, into something that you will pick up just to look at. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: July 2016 |
| Publisher: Templar Press | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 9781783704637 | |
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Since Wally got lost in a crowd of similarly clad people, the eye spy book has been very popular with kids. Britta Teckentrup brings a little class to the genre with her wondrously illustrated One is Not a Pair. Over 32 pages you get a series of puzzles that try and get you and your child searching for which two ice creams, cats or pencils are the same. Seems simple? You will find that each puzzle will take you a little while to solve, no matter your age.
A straight forward eye spy or spot-the-difference book is fun, but usually just a throwaway novelty to glance at between proper story books. That is not the case here as Teckentrup does a series of things that elevate this book from the norm. Firstly, the drawings are lovely. They have a simple 70s feel to them and the use of contrasting colours means that each page is a joy to behold. To add to the illustrations, the high quality paper stock supplied by Templar Press really adds to the special quality the book has.
Each puzzle is introduced to the reader by a little rhyme. They scan perfectly and still manage to tell you what to do. If the book was just a series of spot-the-items it would not have as much educational value. The added reading element means that you also get to develop your child's cognitive prowess as they can link the instructions on the page to the task at hand.
The only slight hesitation you may have with this book is that the puzzles may be a little too complex for the very young, although the illustrations will attract them. This is a book for a slightly older toddler with a keen mind, but don't be shocked if they learn all the answers after a couple of sittings. Thankfully, the book is nice enough looking to take off the shelf on occasion anyway to simply enjoy as an object of beauty.
Teckentrup's classical illustration style is on show in many different books including The Wheels on the Bus, Take a Square and Under the Same Sky.
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You can read more book reviews or buy One is Not a Pair by Britta Teckentrup at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy One is Not a Pair by Britta Teckentrup at Amazon.com.
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