Mr. Biggs in The City Book Review
Okay parents, how many dozens of children’s books do you read a week? I have been so impressed with some of the detailed illustrations recently in books, that it made me think, without these talented individuals creating the pictures that tell the story, the most amazing words in the universe would be rendered meaningless.
And then there are those individuals who not only illustrate, but who also find the words to give great meaning to their stories. So everyone, meet Kevin Bloomfield. An illustrator AND author of children’s books, who recently released Mr. Biggs in the City, which I had the pleasure of reviewing.
The premise of the story includes one silly Sasquatch or Bigfoot, a.k.a. Mr. Biggs and his squirrel friend, who leave their cave in the forest to test out all the fun and excitement that big city life has to offer. Except Mr. Biggs’s physique lends himself to be a pretty big “bull in a china shop.” So, none of the activities he thinks would be fun like riding a roller coaster, skateboarding, and my personal favorite — ballet, just don’t appear to really be any fun for him, for reasons you will definitely see why in the illustrations! So what will make Mr. Biggs happy? You’ll have to check out the book for yourself to see.
Now for one of the coolest features I have seen in a children’s book. I was provided with a bilingual copy of the book,meaning the story is written in English on one side of the page and Spanish on the other. What a great way to help children learning either language to bridge the gap. On just a few of the pages, it could be a little distracting with so many words on the page, but I really think this is a great concept. (It was kind of fun as an adult who hadn’t practiced Spanish in 15 years to give myself the good old college try at pronunciation!)
The story is simple, and having a toddler at this point, I can really appreciate the use of simple language in books. We’ve all been there one time or another when we abandon the words on the page because some kids are just to young to understand every word. Mr. Biggs in the City is geared for children in preschool (about 3 years old) through 3rd grade. This book is amazing for its entertaining illustrations, that both children and adults will appreciate.
Apparently there are plans for Mr. Biggs to head to the circus in his next adventure, so follow all upcoming news at www.KevinBloomfield.com, on Facebook and on Twitter.
A copy of this book was provided free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.