BIG SIZE SURPRISE

Various vehicles transform from tiny to gigantic with the turn of folded pages.

“Is this a little tractor? OR…” reads the blocky text written on the verso. Across the page, much of which is hidden by a half accordion-fold, readers see an image of a graphically simple, small tractor on a white background. A pull on the fold reveals the full image of “a big harvester” loading bales of hay. This pattern of vehicular transformation is repeated nine more times and includes a houseboat morphing into cargo ship, a “pint-sized” camper growing to become a large cement-mixer, and a “puny U.F.O.” expanding to “the mothership.” Baruzzi uses curved lines and flat planes in highly saturated colors, including pink and turquoise, two colors that are rarely seen in toddler transportation titles, to create vehicles both droll and impressive. While the folds are sturdy enough to withstand robust readers, the pages themselves are of thinner stock than what is typically found in standard board books.

Sprightly fun for the youngest transportation enthusiasts.