My 4yo daughter's favorite book right now is Dinotopia. I don’t read all the words, but I read the illustrated notes around the pictures and kind of summarize what is happening. She LOVES it. She has tons of books and we borrow from the library regularly, but this one she continues to go back to. Initially I thought it was the artwork she liked and a librarian suggested some eye spy seek and find books. Nope. I got her an illustrated chapter book, the Princess in Black, which she liked but hasn't asked for again. She is not even really obsessed with dinosaurs. Her favorite animal is a unicorn. But there is something about this book that sucks her in. I have borrowed for her beautifully illustrated children's science books on bioluminescence, the ocean, fossils and she is not interested, I think because they are not really stories. Or is it because I really like Dinotopia? Or that it is helfty and she feels grown up reading it? I'm considering trying to find a some sort of beautifully illustrated Hobbit or something to see if she will go for that. Any suggestions?!
by Strange_Sun7628
4 Comments
Maybe she likes it because those books look like “documentation” of another world, rather than just a storybook? I remember really liking that when I read them as a child. The Lady Cottonwood fairy books have a similar vibe, with lots of journal entries, little facts about the world, a lot of details, and fun “authentic” elements to explore.
The Voyage of the Basset by James C. Christensen is another “travel to magic lands” book with gorgeous illustrations! Highly recommend. And anything by Graeme Base!
Maybe those kids’ encyclopedias of mythical creatures will scratch the good illustration itch with some more narrative features? I’m thinking “Dragonology,” “wizardology,” Judy Allen’s Fantasy encyclopedia, things like that?
Maybe some -ology books: Dragonology, Oceanology, Dinosaurology, there’s a whole series of them. They have similar old-timey science style illustrations, maybe that’s part of the appeal.