Do you know why I love Tuesdays? I love Tuesdays because that’s the day that many publishers launch books! And today we have a DOUBLE BOOK LAUNCH for talented author/illustrator Chiêu Anh Urban! Now, we know that birthdays usually involve cake (here is your virtual slice) and candles (one, two, three, blow!) and presents…and the lovely creator of these beautiful books is giving one lucky winner a copy of one of her books!

Here is a little bit about this creative board book series:
The Food Book: These illusions will play tricks on your eyes! Find two foods on each page in a clever, stylish exploration of negative and positive space for the very young.

A twisty pretzel loops around and back.
What fruit is hidden inside this snack?

Look closely. What do you see? Could that be two orange slices tucked inside the curves of the pretzel? And what fruit is nestling inside a pitcher’s handle? Or in the twist of a cupcake’s frosting? Colorful spreads invite children in with a rhyme that contains a clue, while the bold, graphic design steers the eye to a negative space revealing a hidden familiar food. Black-and-white spreads at the end depict the same foods again, further clarifying the concept of positive and negative space. Fun and enticing for even the youngest children and a delight for art-oriented parents, this interactive seek-and-find book begs for many repeat sharings.

The Animal Book: These illusions will play tricks on your eyes! ! Find two animals on each page in a clever, stylish exploration of negative and positive space for the very young.

Singing, tweeting, small and round.
Lion likes this whistler’s sound.

Look closely. What do you see? Could that be a bird nestled in the curl of Lion’s tail? And who is swimming by Whale? Or basking in the sun near Swan? Colorful spreads invite children in with a rhyme that contains a clue, while the bold, graphic design steers the eye to a negative space revealing a hidden familiar animal. Black-and-white spreads at the end depict the same animals again, further clarifying the concept of positive and negative space. Fun and enticing for even the youngest children and a delight for art-oriented parents, this interactive seek-and-find book begs for many repeat sharings.

And Chiêu Anh kindly stopped by to chat with us about how these books came about.
Chiêu Anh: The graphic designer in me was thrilled to have the opportunity to create Illusions in Art, a two-book series with Candlewick Press.  Since art school way back when, I’ve always been obsessed with negative and positive space design, and love the challenge of creating art where a deceptively simple image can be formed in the negative space.  

My fascination for this concept inspired me to create Illusions in Art: Animals and Illusions in Art: Food.  With stylistic illustrations and rhyming clues, little ones are encouraged to switch their perspective and discover two images in one.  My thought process was to create fun seek-and-find books that introduce children to the negative and positive space concept, all while discovering clever illusions.

Dedicated to developing interactive children’s books for the youngest readers, I strive to create empowering, playful and unique story time experiences through exploration.  I am a children’s book author/illustrator, award-winning graphic designer, and format designer.  My recent titles include novelty books 123 ZOOM and ABC ROAR (Little Simon, S&S 2022) and the Color Wonder series: Color Wonder Hooray for Spring! and Color Wonder Winter is Here! 
To connect with her:
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These are so cleverly done…and so perfect for our littlest lovers of books! And even though they are strong and sturdy books, they still need our help to become successful. Please choose at least one of these to do:
Buy the books:
Illusions in Art: Animals
Illusions in Art: Food
Review the books
Put the books on your Goodreads WANT TO READ shelf
Tell friends about the books (share on Social Media)
Ask your library to purchase copies for their collection

And of course, please don’t forget to leave a comment to be entered n the giveaway!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!