Chris Raschka’s Thingy Things Series Gets a Reboot

Author Chris Raschka has published over 60 children’s books. He received the Caldecott Medal for his work on A Ball for Daisy and The Hello, Goodbye Window. Yo? Yes! was named a Caldecott Honor book.

Raschka’s Thingy Things series of books for children ages two to four was recently acquired by Abrams Appleseed. New titles Crabby Crab and Cowy Cow were released today alongside refreshed editions of the previously published Lamby Lamb and Whaley Whale.

Crabby Crab is my favorite book in this series so far. Crabby Crab is unhappy with who he is. He has claws, but wants fingers. He has eight legs, but says they’re ridiculous. He walks sideways, but wants to walk straight. In the end, however, we love Crabby Crab just that way he is — even if he is coming across as a wee bit crabby.

The illustrations are colorful and there are only a few words per page, so the Thingy Things books are ideal to read to babies or toddlers with short attention spans. The humor is designed to appeal to both children and adults alike.

The Thingy Things hardcover books measure 6 ½ inches square and are attractively bound. However, I think a board book format would have been preferable since many kids this age are quite rough with printed books. The Thingy Things books would be great for a bedtime story, but probably not the best choice to give your child to look at independently.

In September 2014, fans of the Thingy Things series can expect refreshed editions of Moosey Moose and Doggy Dog. Two new titles, Buggy Bug and Clammy Clam, will also be released at this time.

Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher.

Photo credit: Abrams Appleseed