Picture of the Day

Publishers Weekly

On April 18, 2023 two generations of authors gathered in New York City to celebrate their upcoming books, all to be published on May

From left to right, Hannah Rogge, author of 'Hello Hummingbirds' (Chronicle Books); her mother Robie Rogge and Dian G.

Smith, coauthors of 'Do One Thing Every Day to Sleep Well Every Night (Clarkson Potter); and Dian's son, Ben Smith, author of 'Traffic' (Penguin Press).

Courtesy Robie Rogge

AFTER THE BUZZ COMES THE BEE: LIFT-THE-FLAP ANIMAL SOUNDS (HOLIDAY HOUSE) 

School Library Journal, April 2022

[starred] PreS-K–This lift-the flap book capitalizes on the appeal of animal sounds and visual guessing games to create a simple yet delightful whole. Each page starts with the fragment “after the” followed by an animal sound, such as buzz, oink, or whoo. When the flap is opened, the animal is revealed visually, along with the name of the animal. It is an incredibly simple idea, but Isadora’s delightfully colorful and appealing illustrations give it life. Children, who are a diverse lot, search for or interact with the animals; the animals range from the expected frog, pig, and sheep, to the more unusual panda, hedgehog, and sloth. The book ends with an older sibling singing a baby to sleep, almost more of inference than a statement, that after the musical notes comes “Zzzzz.” Listeners will love being in on the finale. Isadora’s full-bleed illustrations place the animals in wholly appropriate habitats, while the flaps leave just the right amount to the imagination. This beautiful little book will appeal to toddlers and their parents alike and would work equally well one-on-one or in story time. VERDICT A perfect addition to any library serving toddlers.

I SAY PLEASE AND THANK YOU

Publishers’ Weekly, February 2022

In this lift-the-flap book from previous collaborators Isadora and Rogge (I Say Please and Thank You), 11 creatures announce their presence, each with their own distinctive noise. Opening the vertical flap on the right-hand side of each spread reveals the sounding-off being, which is greeted by a member of the book’s preschool cast, portrayed with various skin tones and hair textures. Alongside the titular bee, favorite farm (“After the baa-baa-baa...// come the sheep”) and woodland animals and insects appear, as do a few less well-known sound/animal pairs (“After the ah-ah-ah...// come the sloths”). In the penultimate spread, a group of children stand attentively in a starry, full moon–lit night to hear an owl hooting, a wonderful surprise following nine spreads with bright white backgrounds. And the final frame literally brings things home, with a child singing a lullaby to a crib-tucked infant. Though portrayals of seemingly East Asian characters border on stereotypical, crisply inked, loosely rendered pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations take place along a single plane, generally placing the reader at the child characters’ eye level and enabling audiences to savor the animals’ irresistible appearance and the children’s quiet poise—which the animals clearly appreciate—in the wake of each sound’s reveal.

ONE BUSY BUNNY

Publishers’ Weekly, February 2022

“One Busy Bunny has a job today:/ A basket full of eggs to give away.” A long-eared brown bunny delivers holiday happiness to animal friends in this rhyming novelty board book that’s shaped like a rabbit. Captured with smooth, painterly strokes, a crowded pond scene shows a frog hugging an orange decorated egg atop a lily pad, and a brown snake coils around its gift, while Bunny leaps off the page’s edge. Next, a verdant garden view shows the rabbit distributing eggs to “chipmunks and bees,/ butterflies on flowers and birds in the trees,” while a farm scene shows colored eggs being left at the feet of larger, only partially visible, stable creatures. When a fellow hare hops up to reciprocate Bunny’s kindness, it’s a chance to say, “Happy Easter!” A gently hoppy tale just right for tucking into Easter baskets. Ages 1–5. 

I SAY PLEASE AND THANK YOU:  LIFT-THE-FLAP MANNERS (HOLIDAY HOUSE) 

School Library Journal, JANUARY 2022                                

PreS-Gr 1–Utterly adorable, delicate pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations adorn this lift-the-flap book. Characters include a plethora of zoo animals as well as some imaginary animals, such as a rainbow unicorn and a mermaid. Each animal interacts with a person (there is wide representation throughout the book). Manners are presented with a scenario and when the flap is lifted an appropriate response is shown. Children will love reading this book over and over, to find the fish in a bib wearing a party hat, an ostrich in ballet shoes, and a well-dressed panda and piglet eating an ice cream cone on a bench. VERDICT A delightful purchase for all libraries where little ones are learning the value of courtesy and respect for others.

The Horn Book, 2021

With lots of opportunities for children to notice things in pictures and to make predictions about what happens next, this is both entertaining and useful in helping them learn what’s expected.

CARPE EVERY DIEM:  THE BEST GRADUATION ADVICE FROM MORE THAN 100 COMMENCEMENT SPEECHES (CLARKSON POTTER, 2021)

AMAZON RATINGS, MAY 2022

45 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS, #1 BESTSELLER IN LITERARY SPEECHES

BABY SEE, BABY DO: LIFT AND LOOK IN THE MIRROR (CHRONICLE) 

Kirkus Reviews, January 2019

This board book features photographs of babies’ faces displaying basic emotions and movements. From smiling to sad, crawling to stretching, this book covers all of the baby basics. Each two-page spread features the same baby on each side, the verso a wide shot and the recto a close-up headshot in a circular frame. Taking the title seriously, the book’s magnetic, wrap-around cover includes a mirror inside that remains open even while turning pages. Though this feature may be cumbersome for caregivers balancing a bouncing baby and the book at the same time, it capitalizes on babies’ love of self and encourages readers and listeners to practice the faces illustrated on each page. Pages that feature a movement (“Baby waves”) include an overlay of lines that emphasize the action (curved lines around a waving hand), which serves as a hint to readers to act out the movement and draw attention to that part of the photograph. In a sweet wink to readers, the baby on the last two pages of the book is reading this very book, as if to show that it really can be enjoyed by its intended audience. 

BABY SEE, BABY DO: LIFT AND LOOK IN THE MIRROR (CHRONICLE)

Publishers’ Weekly, August 2018

Photographs depict 10 ethnically diverse babies expressing a variety of emotions and engaging in basic motor activities in a cozy home environment. A round fold-out mirror invites readers to mimic the expressions and actions: “It’s your turn! Now you do!” One baby frowns and pouts; another appears happy and “silly” with a laughing grin. A baby in a pink onesie is having a rough day (“Baby’s sad. Baby’s mad”), while another plays peekaboo (“Baby hides. Baby peeks”). Images reflected in the mirror are somewhat distorted, but Rogge offers a fun concept that builds upon babies’ natural mirroring behavior. Ages up to 3.

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