A gentle tale that kids will want to hear again and again.
From the moment a baby is born, they begin to learn. That is my daddy. This is my home. My family loves me, and they keep me safe. As they grow from babies to toddlers, their education expands. Grass is soft. Lemons are sour. Sunshine is warm. Mama’s voice is soothing. There are a seemingly endless number of things for little learners to discover along the way. And many of these discoveries happen as babies and children play. In the book Is That a Blanket?, three friends in an uncluttered room find something purple on the floor. What is it? What could we do with it? The pals then have a wonderful time with nothing more than a blanket. That’s right, blankets aren’t just for keeping warm! The three characters use the blanket to pull one another around, teaching children directions like left and right. They even have fun using the blanket to toss each other higher and higher in the air. However, so much fun leaves one of them quite tired. The other two look for Barry and find that he has fallen asleep, using a blanket for its most common purpose. His two friends join him for a well-earned nap, bringing a peaceful, sleepy end to the playful story.
A book that is perfect for reading aloud to the youngest listeners, Is That a Blanket? Is a gentle tale that kids will want to hear again and again. The text is sparse, which works well for children who enjoy having board books read to them. Parents will delight their children as they heartily play out the adventure. “Let’s go higher!” and “Where are you?” are lines made for interactive storytime. The artwork is simple but effective, using a basic color palette to visually convey the story. With uncomplicated illustrations that look hand-drawn, the book is approachable to very young audiences. Nearly every sentence has an image to go along with it, showing the characters discovering, pulling, playing, tossing, and eventually sleeping. And while the play period can be rambunctious at times, the sleepy ending makes this book one that works as a bedtime story. So, is that a blanket? The opening page confirms that it is. But is this a book your baby or toddler would enjoy? Yes, again. Is That a Blanket? by J Han is a thoughtfully developed read-aloud story about fun, friendship, and falling asleep after a busy day.
