From bestselling author Christopher Franceschelli comes Hello, New York! and Hello, Paris! , board books about the most visited cities in the world. Each book opens with a simple map that puts all of the city sites in context before taking readers on a journey of the landmarks in each city. Playful die-cuts peek into windows and under bridges on each spread, culminating in an iconic gatefold at the end.
Hello Paris! by Christopher Franceschelli, illustrated by Geraldine Cosneau. BOARD BOOK. Abrams Appleseed, 2018. $13. 9781419728303
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
This board books starts with a pop-up map and ends with a fold out city skyline. Inside the book there are cut-out pages that highlight each of the places on the map from the first page. The illustrations are a good balance between realistic and bright and cartoony.
I think the text of this book is hard to read aloud - it is a conglomeration of descriptions, exclamations, and labels. Even though it is not an easy book to read aloud, it is a really fun book to look at alone. The illustrations have a lot of energy, which the cut-outs contribute to, and you really do get a fun feel for the city of Paris.
I find this series a bit strange for the format (board books, but with fold-out features that the intended age group would not be able to navigate very easily). Cute in concept and nice illustration style, but maybe nicer for adults than for kids.