Take a Square by Britta Teckentrup

Take a Square by Britta Teckentrup
Buy Take a Square by Britta Teckentrup at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: For Sharing
Reviewer: Sam Tyler
Summary: Go on a strange journey into the land of Squares in this nostalgia-fuelled book about shapes that does not forget to entertain or educate the youngster as well.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 32	Date: June 2015
Publisher: Words and Pictures
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 9781910277072
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Sometimes it is hard to determine who is enjoying reading a sharing book the most; the adult or the child. A book can look great, or have an interesting art style that draws the mature reader in, but does the baby care? Unless it is colourful with plenty going on, toddlers are not really bothered that their mum or dad are getting a fun nostalgia blast from the book. If you are going to design a book for youngsters, first make sure that it appeals to them and then think about the parent later.

Take a Square by Britta Teckentrup is a book that walks the thin line between these two things; nostalgia and entertainment for a child. The look is extremely retro and pleasing to the eye. Printed on a rougher paper than usual, Teckentrup purposely uses an art style that is slightly faded, as if the book has been sitting on the shelf for decades having been passed on from family member to family member. There is a timeless appeal to the book, but will a 6-18 month year old care?

They most certainly will not, but Teckentrup has not ignored her core audience as although the book looks great for an adult, it is also full of appealing colours and animals for the kids. The story itself is pretty eclectic – a journey across a landscape of colour and squares that the reader follows. Thinking of it from the point of view of a normal narrative will lead a reader being slightly scared of this shape filled dystopian future, but the purpose of the book is not about the story and more about educating.

By the end of Take a Square a younger reader will have a better understanding of the different scales that a square can some in and some of the alternative objects that are square. The other books in the series investigate lines and circles; between them a young toddler or older baby will be put on the path to knowing their shapes. By concentrating on squares only (in this case) it makes the lesson clear to understand for even the very young.

Teckentrup has an incredibly appealing feel to her illustrations for adults who remember reading children’s books from the 50s through to the 70s. The worn printing technique just adds to the nostalgia. It is the fact that the author also remembered to create something that would appeal to the core audience in terms of educational value and colour that means Take a Square delivers on all levels. It is the only the sporadic and frankly odd tale that prevents the book from being a must.

Have you read all you need to know about squares and are looking to develop your shape knowledge then try Flip-A-Shape: Go! by SAMI or something a little different with shapes, Play The Shape Game by Anthony Browne.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Take a Square by Britta Teckentrup at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Take a Square by Britta Teckentrup at Amazon.com.

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