Walter Wick

I liked this, even though it made me feel like I'm not smart enough to wrap my head around some of the concepts. Red and green make yellow? Huh? I thought yellow was a primary color. (I had to google this to understand that I've been wrong about primary colors my whole life!)

This is both a very cool book and a sort of unsatisfying book because it touches on a lot of concepts that make me as a reader beg for further explanation. So if you look at this as a jumping off point for further show more reading and exploration, it's a winner. On it's own, it sort of just boggles the mind, though I'm sure there are very smart kids out there who already have a strong background in science who will enjoy it. show less

Picture puzzle book are wonderful for small children, they encourage kids and adults to slow down and take time to enjoy illustration. They demand that readers pause to examine and appreciate illustrations rather than turn the pages quickly. They also encourage concentration and attention to detail.

I am a big fan of Walter Wick’s work and have shared many of his books with children. Can You See What I See? Toyland Express takes this genre to a new level as it introduces a show more picture-narrative to the usual puzzle format.

We begin in a woodwork shop and can almost smell the woodshavings and sawdust. It is clear that a skilled craftsman is at work, creating train parts and other intriguing toys made from wood. Turning the page, the woodworker’s creations have been shifted to a large paint shop where bright colours are added to an amazing array of toys and toy parts.

Once painted, assembled and boxed, the Toyland Express – a cheery toy train – is prominently displayed in a toy store window, hoping to entice a buyer. Sure enough, the train, track, bits of scenery and characters become a treasured birthday gift for a young child. One can almost imagine the squeal of delight when the gift is opened.

Gorgeous spreads take us from woodshop to paintshop; toy store to birthday party, soon the bright wooden train joins other toys in a child’s bedroom and undergoes transformations as the child changes the backdrop, accessories and scenery. Each scenes includes a rhyming list of hidden objects to find:

Can you see what I see?
A rocking horse,
a rolling hoop, a birthday candle,
an ice-cream scoop,

Eventually, the well-used train set is stored, with other discarded toys, to gather dust. All is not lost, however. A yard sale and refurbishment are just around the corner for the Toyland Express. Before long, the train is happily chugging through a new, modern world, consisting of blocks, paper, dominos, cars, boats and other toys.

Sure to captivate puzzle-solvers as they search for hidden and disguised objects, Toyland Express encourages imaginative play and delivers a “green” message. It may send readers scrambling to discover treasures at a neighbourhood yard sale or encourage children to consider the steps involved in creating toys. show less

I found this book extremely interesting for a few reasons. The pictures throughout this story were phenomenal, due to their clear details. I think that these illustrations really enhance the book, especially the section on bubble shapes. Readers usually think of bubbles as round spheres, but these bubbles are shown as spirals and cubes. These types of illustrations engage the reader and make them want to keep reading and possibly look deeper into the subject. I also loved the pictures in the show more section about snowflakes. Many readers have never seen a real snowflake up close. Readers learn that there is an “endless variety” of shapes and designs of snowflakes. I also think that it is important that the story shows a picture of a snowflake at its’ actual size, to display to readers how magnified the multiple pictures of snowflakes are. This book is nonfiction, and to my knowledge is accurate. I like that the book is organized into different sections about water, such as frost and dew, clouds, snowflakes, surface tension, etc. This book really caught my attention due to the beautiful pictures. The big idea of this book is to inform the readers about the different forms of water and how water looks when it meets air, is splashed, or freezes. show less

Can You See What I See? Toyland Express by Walter Wick takes vintage Christmas toy magic to an entirely new level! Open the pages and entire a world filled with trains, toys and every imaginable related object will come to life before your eyes. This was our family’s first venture into the world of Walter Wick’s “look and find” style books, but I’m positive I’ll be sharing more with both kiddos. The images are gorgeous! Walter Wick has an incredible talent for capturing the life show more of a still toy making it seem as if they may begin moving at any moment.

Anyone who’s a fan of vintage toys, train sets or even simply has a kiddo who loves to discover new things should pick this up for the season. We will definitely be adding to our collection and I know that the Turkeybird especially is excited to have another chance to discover a brand new world of toys!

Originally reviewed at my site, There's A Book. show less