Book Review: Japser & Joop by Olivier Dunrea

I haven’t yet read a ton of children’s books to Juniper but this is one of my favorites so far. Partly because she can “help” turn the pages and partly because I can see Lindsay and I in the characters (I won’t say who is who). It is a wonderful story about two friends who are opposites, one is messy and one is tidy. Throughout a day’s adventures they find themselves in many situations where there is potential to get dirty. Along the way Jasper tries to avoid the filth while Joop dives right in.

The story is a bit repetitive at times (Jasper and Joop look at each other quite a bit) but I suppose that is poetically intentional. Juniper loves the part with the buzzing bees, probably because I always extend the “buzzing” for an inordinate amount of time.

Overall it is a book that I can read many many times and not hate which is good because I can see that being my future. This is only one book from the “Gossie & Friends” series. I may have to pick up a few more; Ollie the Stomper sounds intriguing!

Book Construction:

It is a board book made of thick cardboard. Holds up well to baby hands but not resilient against chewing teethers. Rounded corners prevent poking.

Illustration:

Very simple, colored line drawings. The backgrounds fade nicely into the surrounding white space. Good attention to the small details and accurate character consistency. Color scheme is neither overly dramatic nor underwhelming. I’m partial to the fact that Jasper wears a tie!

Typography:

A simple font choice of Optima allows for easy reading and appropriate font size is used as well. The text is in a consistent location throughout the book which flows perfectly with the pictures. Nothing spectacular or unexpected here.

Number of Reader Voices:

You will need 3 voices to read this book well; the narrator, Jasper and Joop.