Tout est Relatif (Kaléidoscope)

The French edition of my book Todo es Relativo has just come out. You can find it at Amazon or at Fnac.

Huff & Puff in Twenty by Jenny

Who’s the Big Bad Wolf?

Here’s the genius behind Huff & Puff by Claudia Rueda: The toddler gets to play the big bad wolf.

Forget the iPad (just for a moment). This is what interactive reading is all about. The child gets to discover, by turning the pages, why those holes in the pages seem to be related to the pile of straw or sticks on the next page. And, as the story continues, readers also realize why the three pigs don’t look frightened that a wolf just blew their houses down. The experience of reading aloud together is itself interactive. But add to that a clever activity that’s intrinsic to the story, and you have a truly rewarding and playful interactive experience.

Certain stories almost seem to be known at birth. The Three Little Pigs is one of them. Goldilocks and the Three Bears is another. But there may be no greater refrain than “I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down.” A die-cut hole in the middle of the page makes it seem as though the child’s strong “blow” travels through the opening and knocks down the house of straw and sticks (and finally blows out the candles on a birthday cake). Like Press Here, the book’s pages seem to anticipate the child’s actions and “react” to them, which delights the child. When I got to interview Claudia Rueda for Kirkus Reviews, she said, "I wanted the reader to be one of the characters."

I must confess that I did not get the conceit until my third reading of the book (and admitted this to the author), but toddlers get it immediately.  They know they’re the ones blowing the houses down. And they’ll want to do it over and over again.

En Casa Anita - Barcelona

Una tarde en Casa Anita, una encantadora librería infantil en Barcelona. Acá con Oblit, su creadora y muy queridos asistentes en el jardín del lugar.
Gracias a mi amiga Anna por enviarme estas fotos.

Huff & Puff featured in Daily Candy Round-up

Here is the link to the Daily Candy list:
A Summer Reading List

Taller de Anaconda en Bosa

Los niños de Bosa, al borde sur occidental de Bogotá, fabricando una anaconda gigante después de que leímos el libro.
Una valiosa iniciativa de la Fundación AR, que construye y dota bibliotecas infantiles en los conjuntos residenciales populares de su constructora.

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From childrensbooksguide

Fractured fairy tales are interesting. There’s a familiar underlying story that you already know you’re bound to like, and then a twist on it, which you may like or you may not. Either way, it’s a read that grabs your attention. Huff & Puff, written by Claudia Rueda, is a new take on Three Little Pigs. It’s an interactive book that will keep kids engaged right up to the surprise ending.

In Huff & Puff we meet the first pig, building its house out of straw. Then, through a small cut-out circle that goes through to the next page, the reader is encouraged to act out the part of the Big Bad Wolf and blow the house down. Second pig is the same deal, house made out of sticks and the reader huffing and puffing to blow the house down. Of course, neither house can withstand the might of such gusts and they both collapse. The third one, however, is made of bricks. Genius. And alas, we cannot blow it down. What happens next? In the original story, the third pig is happy, safe and sound in its sturdy home. In Huff & Puff there’s an alternate ending that is much happier for everyone, and really, who doesn’t like happy endings?

Claudia Rueda really simplifies the story. Each page has just about a sentence on it, just enough to guide the reader along and hold their attention. The illustrations are superb. I took one look at the cover and fell in love with how Rueda did the artwork for this book. I really cannot put words to how lovely they are; my descriptions will not do them justice. The pigs are round and jolly, with adorable snouts and small black piggy eyes. On one page the pig is shown building its house on a plain white background, and the next page on the spread is filled with straw, sticks, or bricks depending on what you’re trying to blow down. I found the illustrations to be one of the strongest aspects of this children’s book.

Definitely give this book a shot. The illustrations are delightful, and little listeners or young readers will take great pleasure in engaging in the story, and a familiar story at that. This is the kind of book that works perfectly for a read aloud, whether to a group or not. A good picture book can is one of the best ways to have a fabulously fun time with a child, and Huff & Puff provides great, engaged entertainment for both kids and adults alike.

From childrensbooksguide.com