in

‘All My Animals’ Book Review

'All My Animals' Book Review

I absolutely love discovering new books to share with my kids. My kindergartener daughter has been reading on her own for over half a year now, and she loves reading to herself when she gets up in the morning and throughout the day. Both my kids also love animals. Thus, when recently offered the chance to review All My Animals illustrated by Dawid Ryski and written by Lauren Napier from Little Gestalten in exchange for my honest opinion, I eagerly accepted the opportunity to add to my home library. The 48-page hardback book currently costs $24.95 with a current sale price of $19.51 on Amazon.

Illustrator

Born in 1982, illustrator Dawid Ryski currently resides in Pulawy, Poland. Immersing himself in a world of graphics and music, he has illustrated numerous newspaper and magazine articles created countless concert posters and album covers. He illustrated ALPHABETICS, a beloved Little Gestalten classic. He is also the drummer of The Feral Trees and A Hidden World.

Text

I have always loved poetry and have even self-published two short poetry books. I have already begun sharing my love of poetry by sharing poems with my daughter during our homeschool reading lessons. All My Animals contains twenty-three rhymes about animals that make for a perfect first foray into the genre of poetry. Each animal is given a name and an accompanying rhyme. One of my favorites is about the zebra named Ziggy:

Ziggy O Ziggy,
With your coat of black and white,
Tell us about the colors
You wear both day and night.

Ziggy O Ziggy,
Your striped pattern is unique.
But when the herd comes together
It is a game of hide and seek.

The language is simple enough for the youngest readers but still full of intrigue. My kindergartener came read post of the text on her own with only a little help from me on some of the harder words. My toddler son also loves listening to me read each rhyme aloud. I am excited to use this book in upcoming reading lessons with my daughter and in the future with my son.

Cover of 'All My Animals' Inside Pages of 'All My Animals' 1

Illustrations

As I already mentioned, my kids (and I) are huge animal lovers. As soon as my son opened All My Animals, he went wild pointing at all his favorite creatures such as the giraffe, lion, and monkey. My daughter loves the cat and dog the most. Each set of twenty-three pages includes a rhyme paired with a brilliant illustration of the animal described. Dawid Ryski reimagines well-known animals into works of art reminiscent of classic posters with an iconic vintage illustration style. The animal portraits are detailed and humorous, effectively bringing the rhymes to life. The book, which measures 10.6 by 14.8 inches, is larger than life, just like the multi-faceted animals within the pages. I personally love pouring over the pictures in All My Animals, and so do my kids!

Inside Pages of 'All My Animals' 2 Inside Pages of 'All My Animals' 3

Final Verdict

I love sharing new books with my children, and I absolutely adore All My Animals illustrated by Dawid Ryski and written by Lauren Napier from Little Gestalten. The 48-page hardback book holds twenty-three rhymes and illustrations of favorite animals newly imagined. The language is simple enough for the youngest readers including my kindergartener but still full of intrigue. The animal portraits are detailed and humorous, effectively bringing the rhymes to life. I highly recommend All My Animals to all little animal-lovers and any parent interested in introducing their young readers to the genre of poetry.

Purchase All My Animals illustrated by Dawid Ryski and written by Lauren Napier from Little Gestalten on Amazon via my affiliate link.

Image Credits

‘All My Animals’ Book Review © 2016 Heather Johnson
Cover of ‘All My Animals’ © 2016 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of ‘All My Animals’ 1 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of ‘All My Animals’ 2 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of ‘All My Animals’ 3 © 2016 Heather Johnson

B Is for Bat Paper Plate Craft

B Is for Bat Paper Plate Craft

The Duck and the Mums

The Duck and the Mums: The Rubber Ducky Project Week 42