Once again, thank you to Annick Press for the opportunity to review these titles.
Up Cat and Up Dog, both by Hazel Hutchins, explore the crazy things pets are “up” to while their owners are away. These brightly colored board books (illustrated by Fanny) teach the concept of “up” and explore the personality of both cats and dogs. They may track dirt through the house or get wrapped up in yarn, but these pets manage to end the day right where they want to be.
I read both of these books with my youngest son, who is 19 months old. He loved both books, but especially enjoyed Up Dog, I think because we have two dogs of our own. The short phrases taught concepts that were easy for my toddler son to understand. The illustrations by Fanny really make the books; my little guy loved pointing out different things in each picture. He was especially excited when the puppy from Up Dog made an appearance in Up Cat.
Up Cat and Up Dog are quality board books, and I would recommend them to any parent or early childhood teacher. The beauty lies in their simplicity; they present basic concepts in a way that is easy for toddlers to understand, and fun for them to read. They would also be great for an early reader who is just learning how to sound out words. It doesn’t matter if you’re a dog person or a cat person, both of these books would be a great addition to your collection.
Both of these books are 26 pages long and are published by Annick Press.
I received digital copies of these books for review. All opinions expressed are my own.