Don and Audrey Wood are the author/illustrator team of some of the most gorgeous picture books we own. In each, the use of light is incredible, helping young readers to grasp the mood of the text on another level. We highly recommend their books, especially those below!
Piggy Pie Po follows a young pig as he learns and grows through age 3. The silly rhymes and funny pictures are so fun. This is best for young readers who will enjoy finding details in the images and guessing the rhyme.
Elbert is at a formal family party where he hears a bad word and repeats it. He knows it’s wrong but it comes out of his mouth all the same. Later he learns other words he can use to replace the bad word. Elbert’s Bad Word is genius in its personification of the bad word- it becomes a thing that grows and changes as Elbert learns new strategies to manage his frustration. My kids thought it was funny, and we sometimes use the replacement words like, “Thunder and lightning!” when we’re upset as well.
King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub is hilarious- King Bidgood is having a bath in the morning and won’t get out. Not to fish, not to go to a party, not to have lunch or dinner. Instead, he insists on doing all those activities – and more!- in the tub. Finally the Page figures out how to get him out. The use of light in this text helped my young readers understand the passage of time as King Bidgood spends all day in the tub!
Piggies beautifully illustrates a young reader’s fingers and describes how they are- sometimes silly, sometimes dirty, sometimes clean, etc. At bedtime those silly piggies are naughty, skipping down to the toes and refusing to go to bed. The reader has a fun solution that helps those piggies settle down and go to bed. In each description the images are playful and creative, giving readers new things to discover with each reading.
The Napping House may be Don and Audrey Wood’s most celebrated text. This story builds upon itself as it describes a rainy day nap time and all the people who are sleeping on the bed- granny, a boy, a dog, a cat, etc. Finally a wakeful flea bites the cat which starts a chain reaction waking everyone up. As the story progresses the rain also subsides and the colors are brighter, until finally granny and the rest head outside where the sun is shining brightly after the nap. We read this one all the time and highly recommend it!