What can say hello and goodbye, can be small and silent as well as big loud, and be planted, blown or thrown?
In the delightful picture book Something Special, a curious little frog encounters a mysterious gift outside his home near a castle moat. With only the clue “it’s something special”, he searches high and low, far and wide, for the answer to a puzzling riddle. Will you guess the surprise before he does?
Written by Terri Cholene, Something Special features whimsical illustrations by Doug Keith. I have to say that I enjoyed the artwork in this book more than any other picture book I’ve read. Hairy bugs carrying suitcases, spotted frogs throwing snowballs, and a turtle bearing a goopy insect cake upon its back are but a few of the delightful images conveying the tale of a magical gift.
My favorite part of the book, however, is the artistic rendering of the words. Drawn as flames, icing, branches, stones, and vines—not to mention convex text that appear to be fancifully encased in bubbles—the depiction of the words of the story are utterly enchanting. I found myself marveling at each page; it’s not often that the words of a picture book are as charming as the story itself.
Geared towards ages 3-8, Something Special would make a wonderful addition to a child’s library, for both the beautiful illustrations and the uplifting tale of the magical gift inside.
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