A first glance at the cover of this board book wonderfully displays bits and pieces of the rides as the differently-shaped pages overlap, mirroring the real-life experience of seeing a fair from afar. The unique amusement park theme is simply portrayed in a few pages with limited text and busyness, highlighting a few favorite attractions found at the fair: a merry-go-round, a train, a roller coaster, bumper cars, swirling swings, a ferris wheel, and different prize and concessions stands (ice cream, popcorn, and cotton candy). Ingela P. Arrhenius’ signature illustration style includes attractive colors, minimal but fun inclusion of design, toy-like characters (of a variety of ethnicities) often with rosy cheeks, and a few darling details (e.g. the cotton candy matching the vendor’s hair, the many fun hats included throughout the book, and the numbered bumper cars). Flipping through the uniquely-sized pages allows for a glimpse of upcoming and past visited pages and rides, encompassing you in the fair until you reach the back cover. While non-uniform pages can sometimes be off-putting, they feel intentional in this short, simple, and fun book that captures the zaniness of the fair in its illustrations and book shape.
"Tiny in both size and number of pages . . . this will fit wee hands easily and will be easy to manipulate . . . It’s a pity the text can’t rise to the level of excitement it promises fairgoers. Little hands will enjoy holding this small, chunky book; adult readers can supply their own text."
Ingela P. Arrhenius is an illustrator and graphic designer with a keen love of 1950s and 1960s design. She lives in Sweden.
Nothing yet! Let Ingela P. Arrhenius know that you want to hear from them about their book.
Are you the author or illustrator? Claim your book.