Open Very Carefully: A Book With Bite! is a 2013 children's picture book by Nick Bromley and illustrated by Nicola O'Byrne. It is about a crocodile that disrupts a narrator's reading of The Ugly Duckling.
 | |
| Author | Nick Bromley |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Nicola O'Byrne |
| Cover artist | O'Byrne |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's picture book |
| Published | 2013 (Nosy Crow) |
| Publication place | England |
| Media type | Print (hardback) |
| Pages | 29 (unpaginated) |
| ISBN | 9780857630476 |
| OCLC | 842839196 |
Reception
editA review in Publishers Weekly of Open Very Carefully wrote "This is a lively read with many prompts for interactivity and a format that makes it a good choice for both lap reads and preschool circle time ...",[1] while Kirkus Reviews called it "A blandly nonthreatening alternative to Emily Gravett’s Wolves (2006) and like encounters with metafictional characters."[2]
Open Very Carefully has also been reviewed by Booklist,[3] School Library Journal,[4] Horn Book Guides,[5] and Booktrust.[6]
Some teachers have been concerned that it reinforces stereotypes.[7]
Open Very Carefully won the 2014 Waterstones Children's Book Prize for picture books,[8] was shortlisted for the 2014 UKLA Book Award in the 3 to 6 category,[9] shortlisted for the 2014 Oscar's Book Prize,[10] and longlisted for the 2014 Kate Greenaway Medal.[11]
It appears on the 2015 North Somerset Teachers' Book Award Booklist.[12][13]
References
edit- ^ "Open Very Carefully: A Book with Bite". Publishers Weekly. PWxyz LLC. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "Open Very Carefully". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Media LLC. 1 January 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ Kraus, Daniel. "Open Very Carefully". Booklist. American Library Association. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
This most recent entry in the self-reflexive picture-book canon finds a comfortable niche between the brain-busting of Mordicai Gerstein's A Book (2009) and the cute literary investigation of Mo Willems' We Are in a Book! (2010).
- ^ Julie Roach (2013). "Open Very Carefully". School Library Journal. Media Source Inc. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
Bright reds and yellows, active line work, and plenty of white space create high energy and allow for the croc to interact with text and with the audience. .. While there are many interactive books like this available and some are more notable, kids will enjoy this lively, fast-paced story.
- ^ "Open Very Carefully". Horn Book Guides. Media Source Inc. 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
The droll illustrations are the lifeblood of the story's meta-ness, especially when the bird instructs readers to draw on the crocodile.
- ^ "Open Very Carefully". booktrust.org.uk. Booktrust. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
a picture book with a difference.
- ^ Teddy Kokoros (4 September 2014). "Open Very Carefully: even quality books can contain stereotypes". Horn Book Guides. Media Source Inc. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ Emily Drabble (4 April 2014). "Katherine Rundell wins the Waterstones children's book prize 2014". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "United Kingdom Literacy Association". ukla.org. United Kingdom Literacy Association. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "Winners: The 2014 Story". oscarsbookprize.co.uk. Oscar’s Book Prize. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "2014 Greenaway picture book prize long list - in pictures". The Guardian. 5 February 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "The 2015 Booklist". northsomersetteachersbookaward.com. The North Somerset Teachers' Book Award. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "Open Very Carefully -A Book With Bite! Nick Bromley and Nicola O'Byrne". northsomersetteachersbookaward.com. The North Somerset Teachers' Book Award. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
Although great fun and perfect for enthusing readers, there is much work that can be inspired by this book.