Open Very Carefully

“The text and illustrations work together to produce a quirky crazy tale destined to be loved by young children.”

“Children will love the anarchic approach to storytelling offered by this picture book. Playful and full of fun, it encourages readers to pick up the book, rock it, shake it and even scribble on its pages! The final spread, complete with a ragged hole through which the crocodile makes his getaway, will leave young readers guessing and wondering what might happen next. The beautifully-designed pages and high production values make this surprising story extra-special.”

“The text is witty and fun … The artwork is dynamic which helps support the overall brisk and action-packed feel of the tale. The resolution of the story will delight little readers and is aesthetically perfectly accomplished. Though the ending remains resolutely open-ended; is that naughty crocodile going to turn up in other story books? Open Very Carefully is a great story which lends itself to dynamic and interactive storytelling. It will hopefully encourage little readers to “play” with stories and urge adult readers to look beyond the page when reading stories.”

“This is a wonderful story, full of humour and very unexpected happenings – and just look what happens at the end! Children will love it and adults will appreciate the cleverness.”

“This is a lively read with many prompts for interactivity and a format that makes it a good choice for both lap reads and preschool circle time … O’Byrne’s crocodile is a personable antihero-she underscores his disruptive nature by drawing him in a brash, aggressive style that contrasts mischievously with her soft, storybook duckling-and her integration of typography and action is consistently ingenious.”