Reading to kids from the beginning of their lives is so important. From the very first day, they can benefit from curling up with a loved one and listening to a book. As they get a bit older, every time they read with someone, they are learning invaluable lessons and skills. For babies and toddlers, great board books can provide them with entertainment, while also teaching them a variety of subjects. Today I have the opportunity to be part of the blog tour for two new board books that will do just that!

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Jennifer Sattler is releasing two new board books today titled Dirty Birdies and Jungle Gym. These books are full of bright illustrations of adorable animals, and they teach kids important concepts with simple text. Each book also contains additional activities in the back of the book to extend the learning and encourage parents and kids to use the illustrations for even more fun.

Dirty Birdies reviews counting from 1 to 5 by following a group of cute birds as they get into all kinds of messy activities. Once the birds get all cleaned up, they inevitably find themselves back in a muddy mess – much like the children reading the books usually do! Kids will love the brightly colored birds and their silly expressions, as well as the mischievous ways they get themselves dirty.

Jungle Gym teaches simple concepts such as up and down, or tall and short, using a wide variety of jungle animals and a playground. Each page illustrates a simple concept and it’s opposite. As the various animals attempt to play on the playground equipment, they get into all kinds of silly trouble. The illustrations do a great job of showing the opposing concepts, and kids will be entertained by the antics of the silly animals.

I had the opportunity to talk to Ms. Sattler about her books!

What was your inspiration in creating these books?

I love board books! I love the concentration on single images. Because there isn’t a lot of character development in board books, they can be very funny little moments. It makes the act of turning the pages back and forth to find their favorite pages so much fun. Plus they’re virtually indestructible! No worries of ripping or wrinkling pages, no preciousness! Sandra Boynton is the reason I started doing children’s books in the first place. Hippos Go Beserk is one of my favorites. My copies of her books have lots of love-worn edges.

 What mediums do you use to illustrate?

I use a lot of different tools. I have tons of sketchbooks filled with characters. I draw them over and over again until their personalities start to shine. Then they speak to me.  I use those drawings, add watercolor and then I finish the pictures in Photoshop.

 What do you hope that children will learn from these books?

My hope with all of my books is to show children how much fun books can be. That holding a tactile thing in their hands and turning the pages physically engages them in learning and exploring. I want them to start to know  that they can laugh and learn at the same time. As a children’s book author/illustrator what I want more than anything is to play a  part in children becoming lifelong book lovers.

 How do you hope parents will use these books with their kids?

I used to make paintings to hang on the wall. But when I started to make books and to see these objects in children’s hands, I was hooked! Showing children simple concepts in fun and silly ways? Now that is awesome.

Create Your Own!

Coloring Pages – Bring the fun right off the pages! Print out these free coloring pages featuring some of the fun characters from the stories.

Dirty Birdies Coloring Page

Jungle Gym Coloring Page

Create Some Dirty Birdies of Your Own – Print out the Dirty Birdies coloring page above. Place it on a tabletop and cover it with a piece of contact paper cut slightly larger than the paper, so it is sealed to the table. Put some washable paint or shaving cream on top of the contact paper and have kids spread it around over the birds to make them “dirty”. They can easily clean them off again with a wet paper towel, then add more “dirt” again.

To celebrate the release of these fun books, we are giving one lucky reader the chance to win a copy of the books, as well as a Sleeping Bear Press tote bag and a piece of original art from Jennifer Sattler! Enter below for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway