Hide and Seek

by Sung Na Il

As Elephant counts from one to ten, all the animals find special places to hide. When it's time to seek, will he be able to find everyone . . . even Chameleon?
Like Na's previous books, " Hide & Seek" offers rich illustrations, bright colors, and a simple, spare text--all wrapped up in a beautiful kid-friendly package. Elephant counts from one to ten in big, bold numerals, and there's an additional butterfly on each spread, giving readers something to count as the story goes along. Kids will also love spotting the camouflaged chameleon on every page!

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Counting, Storytime, Childrens, Games, Plays

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Lissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My boys enjoyed trying to find the chameleon on each page! Very cute picture book!

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group of animals gather at the edge of the rainforest in this counting book from the fabulously talented Korean expatriate artist and children's author, Il Sung Na. Deciding to play hide and seek, the other animals rush off to conceal themselves while Elephant counts to ten. As Giraffe ponders which tree to hide behind, and Rhino mistakes Tortoise's shell for a rock, Chameleon quietly vanishes, giving his companions quite the surprise when the games ends, and he alone remains unfound...

I enjoyed Hide and Seek, and appreciated the way in which its creator managed to incorporate a story, however slight, into the concept of the counting book. That said, the true strength here is the artwork, from the decorative endpapers, on which Chameleon cavorts in many colours, to the endearing twists of Elephant's trunk, used at one point to cover his eyes. The textured quality of both flora and fauna - the subtle spirals to be found on many of the animals' bodies, in the leaves, and even in the clouds, or the slender, scratchy striations on the tree trunks or in the grass - adds great visual appeal, as does the vibrant colour-scheme. Young children will enjoy finding Chameleon (not always that well-concealed) on every page, as they also practice their counting skills.

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group of animals gets together to play a game of hide-and-seek. The elephant decides to be "it" and counts to ten while the other animals hide. None of them hides particularly well, and the elephant is able to find all of them, except the chameleon (who can change color to blend into his surroundings). Some funny moments as the animals hide in obvious places. Gorgeous and colorful illustrations (I would totally wallpaper my room in the chameleon endpapers). Text is rather bland in comparison.

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

A colorful hide-and-seek romp. The illustrations are beautiful and playful - a great match for the text. I'm not sure how it will do with a group of storytime kids, since some of the illustrations give you a sense of looking from far away. Those pages might be hard to see. My guess, though, is that the story of animal friends playing will hold kids' attention, even if they can't see all parts of each picture clearly. Then, when looking at it afterwards, they can enjoy all the little details they couldn't see from far away.

[Jim Erekson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A concept book (counting) of a hide & seek game. The chameleon makes for a fun 'find it on each page' game. I enjoy Na's style in this book, and am smitten by his trees in particular. The contrast of the horizontal texture of the bark with the narrow vertical of the trunks really draws me, and the stylized, cloud-like leaves & branches at the top maintain that horizontal line. Visually interesting!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a more interesting seek-and-find activity than it is a compelling narrative, but as always I love Il Sung Na's patterns and I think it will be fun for older preschoolers to figure out where Chameleon is on every page. Must confess I had to break out my reading glasses in order to track down every hiding place!

[Susan Klemetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hide and seek with elephant, gorilla, giraffe, flamingo, bush babies and friends. Good luck finding chameleon in the jungle!

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Il Sung Na's colorful, vibrant illustrations with the chubby little animals. All of the animals hide to a count of ten (and scramble to find good hiding spots). In the end, no one can find chameleon.

[Emmaline MacBeath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many animals gather together at the edge of the rain forest to play. Chameleon suggests they play hide and seek. The animals have a hard time deciding where to hide except for the chameleon. Elephant counts to ten while everyone hides. Then he seeks them out. But where is that chameleon?

The illustrations are created with a combination of painted texture and digital layering. They are gorgeous and vibrant! I love Na's unique style.

This book by Na had so much to offer for young children. First, the elephant counts to ten and you see the numbers progress on each page. Then there are a variety of animals to learn about. The pictures are not complicated for the young ones. And it is fun trying to see where the animals are since they blend into the background--especially the chameleon. And thank you to one reviewer who pointed out that Chameleon shows up on every two page spread. I went back for a second reading to find him. This will be a fun activity for the little ones. This story is simple, but the youngest ones will highly enjoy it. Recommended for ages 2-5.

[Joella · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the animals decide to play hide and seek. Elephant counts to ten while the rest of the animals try to find places to hide. After elephant counts one by one all of the animals are found…except for chameleon. It turns out that chameleon is one tricky “hider”. But when the animals all call out together “Come out, come out, wherever you are!” Chameleon comes out and they all enjoy themselves.

This is a fun story with fantastical illustrations. The animals and landscape are not just colors; they are a rich texture of colors and patterns that add a touch of fantasy and lightheartedness to the story. And young readers will enjoy that even though chameleon is small…he is one of the best hiders. Chameleon is such a fantastic hider that readers can search for him on every single page. The simple storyline will please even the youngest of animal lovers who will want to hear the story again and again. And added bonus they will have help remembering how to count from one to ten!

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author of several lovely picture books returns with another beautiful book. This time readers are part of a game of hide and seek with jungle animals. Elephant offers to seek while the others hide. There is a slow count from one to ten as the animals search for places to hide. Giraffe opts for a tree to hide behind. Gorilla stands atop Tortoise’s shell like a statue. Elephant searches for everyone and one-by-one he finds them all, except for Chameleon. All of the animals finally have to give up and Chameleon reveals himself. Young readers can search for chameleon throughout the bright illustrations, participating in the game themselves.

Read the rest of my review on my blog, Waking Brain Cells.

[Книжни Криле · Rating 5 out of 5]

Корейският илюстратор и създател на детски книжки Ил Сунг На ни е мил на сърцето. Именно с неговите творения започнахме серията си от ревюта за прелестните книжки с картинки на издателство „Рибка”, и говорихме за силата и ролята на подобен тип четива във формирането на визуалната култура и вкуса на децата. Днес ще ви представим „Игра на криеница” – вече третата книжка на Ил Сунг На, която излиза на български. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле":

https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hide and Seek, by Il Sung Na is cute book that will engage little ones in searching and counting ( from 1 - 10), as they turn the each page.

The story is a simple one, animals gather in a rainforest for a game of "Hide & Seek". The elephant must find a giraffe, hippo, tortoise, baboon, birds, a chameleon, and other forest friends -- the chameleon being the most elusive because of how well he blends.

The illustrations are colorful, the story simple, and the bold numbers on each page will engage little ones to count along as they turn each page.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age: Toddler - Kindergarten

"As Elephant counts from one to ten, all the animals find special places to hide. When it's time to seek, will he be able to find everyone . . . even Chameleon?" (Goodreads feature review)

A simple hide-and-seek game is amplified by the artist's use of multimedia and soft pastels. It's really fun to find chameleon in the end before the characters do. Even the inset pages are fun to explore the different shades and patterns that chameleon can take.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a fun, colorful book for young kids to practice counting and identifying animals. The children's department voted to make it into a flannelboard story since it's simple to recreate (it's also an easy story to translate into Spanish on the fly).

In this story, Elephant decides to be "it" while his other animal friends hide. He finds them all easily except Chameleon, of course, since he blends in!

[Sunnyvale Librarian]

Author/illustrator Na has given his young readers a warm and welcoming tale of friends playing a simple game of Hide and Seek. Playful illustrations show animals searching for the perfect hiding place while Elephant counts to 10. One of the animals who doesn't have to work too hard to find a hiding place is Chameleon. Children will enjoy looking for Chameleon, who is of course hiding in plain sight.

[Library Quine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Various animals play hide and seek. There are opportunities to practice counting and searching for the hidden chameleon on each page. The illustrations are attractive although the stylisation might make identification of animals difficult for younger children. Possibly more suited for one-to-one rather than a group read aloud.

[Bridget R. Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's game time in the jungle. Elephant is the seeker and the other animals are hiders. Can he find them all?

What I thought: I always order Na's books because I love not only the whimsical illustrations but the stories. Hide & Seek did not disappoint me. I know my story time kids will love looking for the chameleon on every page.

Story Time Themes: Games, Jungle Animals, Chameleons

[Lu Benke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too slight. I ended up with the impression the book was created to showcase the colorful, stylized illustrations and provide a slight diversion of looking for the chameleon peeking out somewhere on each page. And, as Stacy's niece perceptively assessed it, there are no flamingos in rain forests. I did like the end papers with the colorful chameleons though.

[Hbeyaz83hotmail.com · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a story about animals in the rainforest who hide and the animal seeks to find the animals. On a positive note, this book introduces animals, the idea of play and numbers. However, I have given this book a rating of 2 because at times it seemed boring. Can be used for both independent reading and reading out aloud. Age range from 3 plus.

[Tim Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, I am a total sucker for chameleons. I think they are quite possibly the cutest of all reptiles. I also like the little monkey who pretends to be a "statue." First he's the statue of liberty, then Rodan's Thinker. I'm not sure what the third statue he imitates is but he kind of looks like Steve Jobs eating an apple.

Anyway, chameleons are awesome.

[Amber Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would be a great read aloud book for a kindergarten class. In the book, Elephant counts from one to ten and plays hide-and-seek. The illustrations in the story are incredible, with vibrant colors. Throughout the story there is also a challenge to find the chameleon on each page. This would definitely be great book for beginning readers!

[Great Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Join in the fun as the animals play hide and seek in the rainforest. Get good ideas for hiding places and count to 10. Elephant finds everyone except chameleon. See if you can do better. Try to find the camouflaged chameleon on every pastel colored double page spread. Reviewer 4.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the use of color and pattern in the illustrations of this book. The story is predictable and not vey exciting, but the illustrations make the story pop. I like to flip through this one just for the colors and patterns.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could work for story time except the illustrations are so detailed and chameleon is often so well-hidden it might get frustrating for a crowd. A wonderful lap-sit, however, featuring seek and find pictures. The colors and use of perspective are especially lovely.

[Stacy · Rating 1 out of 5]

My four-year old niece did not appreciate the misuse of setting. When a picturebook begins "At the edge of a vast rainforest . . . "The animal characters within the book need to be animals that live in the rainforest.

[Brandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this picture book with great illustrations, Elephant searches for his animal friends including Chameleon in a game of hide and seek. Readers can search and count along with Elephant in this good read aloud.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My five-year-old son picked this book out from the library last week. It was a little young for him. I might have preferred the book if we had discovered it a year or two ago. Still, it was a very cute book with sweet, cartoony illustrations.

[Mckenzie Koch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has very beautiful illustrations that will keep the younger students interested in the story. It also allows the students to learn what order the numbers 1-10 go in. My favorite part about this book is that it teaches the students the numbers but also does a good job of telling a story.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is good for learning about anima identification. The children can count with you as the elephant counts to ten. I would have the student count the butterflies and find the chameleon on each page.