before & After

by Jean Jullien

让·朱利安著的《发生了什么》是一本圆角纸板书，跟作者的前一本书《这不是书》一样，整本书依然没有完整的故事线，但不同的是，这本书由前后两个对页构建成一组场景，前一个对页是事物最开始的状态，后一个对页是事物变化之后的状态，整本书就是由多组事物的变化状态组成。 第一次打开这本书，粗略地翻一下，你会以为这只是一本漂亮的纸板书，醒目的粗线条、明快逗趣的卡通形象和强烈的色彩对比一定会吸引你继续翻下去。第二次翻看，你会发现，这还是一本有“心机”的书，事物的变化在一下就能猜出来和猜不出来之间摇摆，时时敲打你的脑洞。第三次翻看，你就会发现这本书其实有很多细节，尤其是动物或人的表情变化，从这些细节变化中，你可以细细去揣测中间到底发生了什么…… 如果说让·朱利安的《这不是书》是显而易见的有趣，那他的这本《发生了什么》就是暗搓搓的惊喜了。这是一本孩子翻开之后就忍不住再翻翻的小书，毕竟谁不喜欢有意思的东西呢

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Humor, Fiction, Storytime

80 pages, Paperback

First published March 13, 2017

About the author

Jean Jullien is a graphic designer who works in a wide range of media, including illustration, photography, video, installation, and clothing. Originally from France, he now lives in London and regularly exhibits his work in both places.

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really delightful and made me laugh at some of the unexpected and clever pages in this board book! I loved the cat sequence, of course but I don't think I've seen that done before in this age group. My favorite was the 3 double page sequence of a girl or is it a boy?! I love the gender fluid concept making it into the youngest age group! The chicken or egg joke was so well done too! This book had many concepts in it besides the concept of time (the before and after part) and consequences. I also can't think of another juvie book that has spaghetti in it, but that is such a favorite food for kids, that it really should be in a juvie book!

All libraries with board book collections should pick this clever book up! Thanks to June who mentioned it to me!

[Abril G. Karera · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 estrellas. Estuvo bien, pero me pregunto si no podría ser mejor.

Personalmente, me gusta mucho lo que hace este autor francés. Mediante trazos sencillos de imitar, convierte al dibujo en otra manera de mirar las cosas. Para bebés es fantástico. Aquí muestra una serie de ilustraciones para detonar los conceptos de Antes y Después. De repente también muestra el Durante. Es agradable, sencillo, sin mayor provocación (no tiene por qué tenerla). Y eso.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever little picture book of before and after transformation. Young readers with some sophistication and abstract reasoning (and their parents) will enjoy the silliness.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, funny book for teaching the basic concept of "before" and "after" to young children. The illustrations are simple with bold colors and often silly! A great read for families.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be good for teaching young children how to make inferences. They can try to figure out how the before became the after.

[Annie Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the pictures in this book!

[Cecilia Alonso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy divertido, texto simple para trabajar el antes, el durante y después con los niños.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avant la lecture du livre:
:/

Après la lecture du livre:
:D

[Kid Lit Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Before” the baby is born, both mom and dad are a tad fat around the waist. “After” a thin mom looks at Dad holding the new baby on his own—remaining— “baby bump.” A frazzled cat sits licking its paw. Fur seems to fly all over the spread. That is “Before.” Turn the page to find the cat shiny and new, clean from head to tail. Each pairing is comical and imaginative, and often predictable, though no own will care. Children will want to guess the “after” and anxiously await the answer . . .

To get the most joy out of Jean Jullien’s sometime predictable, child-friendly narratives, you need to share them. Many will have children thinking and questioning how or why, but will always . . .

Originally reviewed on Kid Lit Reviews. To read full review and see interior illustrations, go to: http://bit.ly/2017BeforeAfter

[Chance Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bright colors and bold lines create striking artwork that accompanies the (almost) only two words in the book -- before and after. Before might be a page of yellow sticks and after is a plate of spaghetti, for example. The book plays with its own formula when it includes a wide fold-out of "during" a spiraling roller coaster ride! And it adds question marks to ask "Before?" and "After?" to images of a chicken and an egg. Very cute.

[Kelly Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book out loud to my almost 3 year old. The concept seems simple and delightful especially with the ice cream illustration on the front.

I was very upset when we opened it to the first example. The Before is 2 pregnant women. The After is the same 2 women, 1 with a baby and 1 with no baby and a flat stomach. I quickly moved on when reading this page to my son but I was so confused and upset and wondering what in the world was meant by that illustration? A miscarriage?! While miscarriage is an important topic to discuss I'm no where near ready to discuss it with my toddler.

I asked someone else to look at the image and he said he thought the illustration of the second woman was actually intended to be the dad with a fat stomach. So perhaps if that was intent it is less harmful, however, if you are illustrating a children's book and the only words in the entire book are Before and After and therefore the point of the book is to interpret the illustrations it should not be so AMBIGUOUS.

I love children's books and I absolutely love reading books to my son but I am very very upset at this page in the book stirring up a lot of feelings about miscarriage. The illustrations are not very well done and I'm surprised that both the author/illustrator and publisher didn't catch this.

[Hayley Cass · Rating 5 out of 5]

We picked this book up at our local library just to flick through before we left but found the concept so entertaining that we decided taking out another book couldn't hurt.

Before & After is a relatively simple concept but displayed throughout the book in sometimes not-so-simple ways (e.g. the chicken and the egg). The first before/after was completely lost on me until my partner said "that's the baby's dad!" and then it all made sense. The pages are visually striking and the simplicity of these matched with the bold contrast to the backgrounds made it a captivating read for all three of us. If anything, I suspect that we (the "grown ups") enjoyed the book more than Leo... but he is only 4 months so the whole before/after thing is completely lost on him at the moment.

This is a book that I would definitely recommend to anyone wanting to buy a book gift for a younger child and strongly suspect that we will be buying this in the (near) future for Leo's personal book collection but also as gifts for other children in our life.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jullien, Jean Before & After. BOARD BOOK. Phaidon Press, 2017. $12.95. Content: G. 978-0714874081

This is a wonderful book to share with a child! There is a “before” picture, turn the page for an after picture, and then you can talk about “what happened?” A two color cat licking his paw (before) a White sparkly cat (after) what happened? Yellow lines become spaghetti, which came first the Chicken or the egg? Even a fold out page for a “during”.

This is a lot of fun!

PRE-K ADVISABLE. Lisa Librarian
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jullien captures the difference between before and after in this board book. With changes shown through the illustrations, they are funny and sometimes surprising. Long hair before turns into short hair after and then long hair again way after. Question marks are used to ask if the egg really came before the chicken. A roller coaster ride shows a change in hair and expressions as father and child take a wild ride. This book is silly and fun and will result in lots of conversation with little ones.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is cool, but I don't know how it will work for babies. It's a board book, but I think it's better for kindergartners because the book functions on jokes which I don't think little, little ones will get. It would be a good one-on-one read since an adult can explain the jokes.

Or maybe it is a good book for an adult to read to a baby because the adult will get the jokes and it doesn't really matter if the baby gets it. Any book that helps an adult enjoy reading to their baby is a good book.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very clever book to introduce the concept of before and after. Some nice, subtle gender stuff in the illustrations (the two people who look pregnant but only one of them changes into parent/child, the person with the long-then-short-then-long hair), and darker skin tones exist. A lovely book that is not at all about challenging the status quo but still manages to do so. My favourite kind of book!

Recommended for anyone going through the concepts introduction phase.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The board book, Before and After by Jean Julliem, is a unique way to explore the concept of the words before and after. Parents and kids will enjoy extending their reading time together by making up some before and after scenarios of their own. Don't let the idea of reading a board book fool you into thinking it is boring or simple. This one will will leave you wanting to try out all sorts of word games at home with your little people age 2 - 6.

[Anastasia Tuckness · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be perfect for sharing with older toddlers and preschoolers who have lots to say and are very curious about the world. The fact that there are only two words in the whole book makes it perfect for discussing and imagining. I envision lots of conversation and page flipping with this book!

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this is a short board book, I would only use it with toddlers or even preschoolers as there's more thinking and room for discussion about cause and effect. There's a few particularly funny pages. One is a picture of an egg that says "before" and the next page is a chicken that says "after?"

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first two page spreads are worth it all -- and then it keeps going! Twisting exactly when it needs to twist. DAG.

(The ONLY thing that's bugging me is that I can't figure out how to use this as a writing prompt with my 4- and 5-year old writers. It's so grounded in the visual. But! I have an idea. Stay tuned.)

[Juliana Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simple pictures clearly show how things change. Half full glass of milk next to a pitcher of milk turns into a full glass of milk next to an empty picture. My favorite was the before/during/after roller coaster ride.

[Marcie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chicago Public Library Best Board Books of 2017
Also Betsy Bird Board Books 31 Lists

I liked this because of the unusual examples of before and after and the use of gate folds in a board book which I hadn't seen before.

[Suzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

my youngest grandkid just turned 1 month so it will be awhile before he enjoys the book. but his 10 year old sister assured me he will love it. gotta build a library early, right?

[LudmilaM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very simple yet very clever and fun little book!

[Krysta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't get it.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pair this with "My Pictures After the Storm."

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun board to look and/or to share.

[Michael Earp · Rating 5 out of 5]

He's so good!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable and clever book that leaves the reader guessing what comes "after" the "before" picture.

[MaryLibrarianOH · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like the concepts in this one will give parents a chuckle but totally go over the head of a baby or even most toddlers.