MOVING BLOCKS

Colors, shapes, vehicles, and an invitation to play with blocks add up to a bonanza for imaginative toddlers.

Yonezu’s board book is reminiscent of Pat Hutchins' classic Changes Changes (1971) but with a modern, graphic style that calls to mind the art of Piet Mondrian. The concept is simple: things that go are built out of bright red, yellow, green, and blue squares, rectangles, and circles outlined in heavy black lines. Each section begins with the conversation starter: “What are you building? What can it be?” A turn of the die-cut page offers a hint about the sound of the vehicle and then the vehicle itself against a clean, white background. The first is a simple truck, with subsequent creations growing increasingly complex: a bus, a train, a ship, a plane, a rocket. Strong graphic design makes this effort aesthetically pleasing. Predicable repetition will help engage active toddlers. Best of all, similar, three-dimensional blocks are easy to find, making the final invitation—“What else can you build?”—one families can readily act on.

Millennial parents, and their parents, the grandparents of Generation Alpha, eager to encourage active play and hands-on experiences, will find this offering a pleasing board book to share with toddlers.