Shadow Play: Guess What It Is

Kidding Nature #2

by Helena Haraštová, Serafima Kosikava (Illustrator), Andrew Oakland (Translator)

Explore the fascinating world of shadows in an interactive guessing game, fostering creativity, observational skills, and a deeper connection with nature in this engaging children's book.

Embark on a captivating adventure with Shadow Play: Guess What It Is from the Kidding Nature series. As the sun paints shadows across the ground, young readers aged 3-6 are invited to decipher the mysterious shapes that appear. Through an interactive novelty format with fold-out pages and cutouts, children engage in a guessing game, unraveling the secrets behind each shadow. The play of light and darkness creates an imaginative journey, challenging kids to recognize familiar objects while sparking creativity and spatial perception. Whether imprinted on pavement, grass, or sand, shadows become enchanting companions in the exploration of the magic and mystery of nature.

This delightful book, designed for portable entertainment, not only fosters observational skills and critical thinking but also encourages kids to venture outdoors and connect with the world around them. With durable card stock paper and a compact format, Shadow Play is perfect for on-the-go fun, making it an ideal companion for young explorers. The Kidding Nature series promises to awaken children's natural interest in the world, and this installment, with its engaging guessing game and immersive exploration of shadows, provides an entertaining and educational experience that fuels curiosity and imagination. Shadow Play is an excellent choice for parents and educators seeking a unique and interactive way to introduce children to the wonders of nature.

Genres: Picture Books

24 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2024

Reviews

[Theediscerning · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book that is probably harder to review compared to some, when only seen digitally. What we have is the left-hand page made up of two sheets of card, and with a hole in, and the start of a question that carries on to the relevant right-hand page. Through the hole we see a shadow of something, and the question/right-hand page is the set of four options for what is making it. Open out the left-hand sheet after making our guess and we see whether that diplodocus actually was one, whether that spread of blocky things was a bookshelf, or top-down view of a container ship and its cargo in shadow form, etc.

At the end is a bit of an encouragement to go out and see other weird shadows in our own neighbourhoods, but this is a bit of a misfire to me. I think the tactile sensation of it would improve things, but I felt the selected things too varied and unusual, and that the whole might have been allowed to hang together better. It's not terrible, but it is a gimmicky article whose engineering doesn't seem to justify the result. There's not much to it, either, so this could be a one-and-done quick browse and then end up as of not much use at all.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a cool idea for a book. With six full-page folds to lift on the left-hand side of the book, readers see a shadow or outline of a form and try to guess what it actually is. There are possibilities on the right-hand side, but readers should be wary about choosing what seems to be the most obvious answer. Lifting the flap or fold reveals what it actually is. This one tests readers' imagination, critical thinking, and visual and spatial awareness. As anyone who's ever looked at shadows of their own and others' bodies in the back yard knows, shadows can be quite deceiving. The illustrations consist chiefly of soft pastel colors.

[Norshakila Makmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very fun book for all my kids!