Hocus Pocus

Just as Jerry had to constantly outwit Tom in those old MGM cartoons, so does Hocus Pocus, a magician's rabbit, use all his smarts to keep two steps ahead of Dog in this mostly wordless picture book. The exceptions--Crash, Swat, Flump, Crunch, Splash, Grrr, Splat--give you an idea of how action packed the story is, as Hocus Pocus tries to snag a carrot from the snoozing magician's grocery bag while Dog does everything in his powers to prevent the theft. The upshot in these classic David-and-Goliath battles always comes out in favor of the little guy. Hocus Pocus does not break new ground, but the two animals' antics as they try to best each other will keep beginning readers amused. The cheerful digital illustrations are easy to "read" and with their many panels the book will give little ones the sense of perusing a much older graphic novel.

Hocus Pocus
by Sylvie Desrosiers
illustrations by Remy Simard
Kids Can Press, 48 pages
Published: 2011

Octopus Soup

Wordless picture books are a good choice for beginning readers. Children can relax and enjoy the story without the stress of encountering unfamiliar words. At the same time, they are learning important reading strategies, such as examining the illustrations for picture clues and following the story line in sequence.

Octopus Soup by Mercer Mayer features a young octopus who leaves home (pulling a red wagon that holds his stuffed walrus) and gets into all sorts of adventures. After climbing up an anchor line, he lands in a fishing boat. From there he's thrown to shore and makes his way to a restaurant. The chef, imaging a tasty soup, tries to put our hero on the menu. The resourceful octopus manages to escape--with the chef pursuing him through the cobblestone streets. Chaos ensues, and soon an army of irate citizens is chasing the little fellow as he heads for his ocean home. Readers will be at the edge of their seats to see if he makes it safely back into the multi-arms of his parents.

Mercer Mayer, author/illustrator of countless picture books and beginning readers, has come full circle. His first book, A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog, was wordless too. With his latest story, Mayer has gone all out with the action-crammed illustrations. I especially liked the way the  individual spreads were broken down into story panels. This allows for a more complex story, one that has a comic-book feel to it. The only words that appear are part of the illustrations--signs, advertisements, and a newspaper.

And after finishing this zany tale, readers might be interested in sampling a mock version of octopus soup. This fun--and easy--recipe involves little more than slicing a hot dog to resemble an octopus and heating it in chicken broth with chopped chives for seaweed. Bon appetit!

Octopus Soup
by Mercer Mayer
Marshall Cavendish Children, 32 pages
Published: 2011