Books like Nibbles

Sitting on the bookshelf horizontally (swing on top)—I was intrigued the moment I laid eyes on it and it did not disappoint. 

Just about every book I own is structured the same with the spine is always on the side of the book. But this book has the spine on top! I opened the book and flipped the pages up as Mel falls down the tree. Then, through the clever illustrations and design of the text, I wound up turning the book upside and found myself flipping the pages down to make Mel fly back up the tree. What sorcery was this?

I’ve seen many illustrators try to have readers turn a book, but I have never had such a smooth and seamless experience!

Without using any physically interactive mechanisms, this book still engages!

It breaks the fourth wall and the narrator asks you directly to do certain tasks—tap the dot, tilt the book to the left, shake the book, etc. When reading this book with my kids, I’ve never heard so many giggles. It is also a great way to help teach my kids colors, actions, and directions. Reading this book becomes a form of play!

I grew up loving animation and was captivated by how putting drawings together could create an illusion of life.

This wordless picture book somehow captures that awe with its interactive tabs. By flipping the tabs throughout the book, the characters move and feel like they are being animated.

I love that the story is a dance between Flora and her flamingo friend, literally and figuratively, as they have a disagreement. Everything about this book is well thought out—the interactive mechanisms really enhance the story. Additionally, the drawings are just so beautiful. It’s simply fantastic!

I first learned about Aaron Becker’s work at an SCBWI conference during his breakout session where he was discussing the development of his book, Journey.

I was surprised to see a board board by him but was intrigued by the die cuts and rainbow color wheel. Upon opening the book, seemed to be departure from his other work, but it was just as beautiful and brilliant. It was inspiring to see his range.

I found this book to be perfect for my kid as babies and young toddlers. It’s short, simple, and really captures their attention when light is coming through the transparent colored circles. And it’s cool to see and talk about how mixing primary colors create all the other colors.

I love this book because it goes beyond cryptids and also discusses mythological beasts like unicorns and Medusa, and the folklore behind them. Each entry is only a page or two and accompanied by an illustration, so it’s a quick read overall, and since there’s an index, I can jump around and read about whatever creature I feel like catching up on.

Definitely less science-y than my other selections, but sometimes I’m in the mood for straightforward fun, and this book’s easy focus on critters and short entries hits the mark.

Spooner incorporates a classic Russian fairy tale into her rendition of Beauty and the Beast, creating a rich narrative set in an enchanted forest, both mysterious and dangerous. Though the framework of the original tales is there, this novel does a great job redressing the mannequin (figuratively speaking) so that we get a fresh and enjoyable exploration into the duality of human nature—among other things. I loved the tenacious heroine, who’s a skilled archer and feels more at home in the woods, and it’s her desire for revenge that sparks the chain of events that follow. The author’s version of the beast goes beyond the archetypal motif of “bad guy with good heart,” and the pacing of the book allows for a more authentic delivery (and transformation) of emotion between the characters.  

Translated from Korean, Solo Leveling is the story of a world where mysterious portals have opened and lead into caves full of nightmarish creatures. To combat these “Dungeons”, humans have harnessed magic in order to awaken what are called Hunters – people who are stronger, faster, and more powerful than the average person. One of these Hunters is named Jinwoo Sung, known across Korea as the weakest hunter to have awakened. Barely stronger than a normal human, he’s nearly died hundreds of times but keeps fighting in order to support his sister and sick mother. After a sudden encounter with a strange Dungeon, he’s gained the ability to Level Up, finally giving him the chance to prove that he’s not just some weakling who needs to be protected.

This story resonates with me because you can’t help but be envious of a power like this. The more the MC fights,… show more.

What does it mean to be human, and what happens to us when we don’t receive unconditional love?

The two main characters in this Gothic novel, a human and a "monster," are presented in such a way that I questioned which main character was more human. There’s a warning of what can happen when we deny the basic human need for unconditional love.

Shelly’s use of a frame story pulled me in from the first page.

Margo Maloo is the kid we all wish we knew when we were younger. Especially if there has been a monster sighting in your room, on your block, or in your Grandmother’s kitchen.

She’s an expert on every cryptid you could come across, including a few you haven’t.

One of the things that makes this book so special is that Drew Weing has a knack for making the monsters just as relatable as the kids that fear them. The other is that the illustrations, in this web comic turned graphic novel, paint a vivid picture of layer worlds of human and monster and how they are often stacked right on top of each other.

This book is illustrated by an artist friend and I also used to read this book to my daughter. But this time with the accent of a Bogeyman. A deep scary voice.

The writing is smart and flows gracefully as the author teaches us about the true nature of scary things that lurk in the night.