Synopses & Reviews
Classics never go out of style—thats what makes them classic. Cozy Classics is a new board book series that presents well-loved stories to children aged 0+. Every classic in the series will be condensed to 12 baby-friendly words, and each word will appear alongside a photograph of needle felted objects. Moby Dick is a high seas adventure about one mans quest to find the whale who took his leg, and one of the worlds most beloved classics. Now this classic can be shared with your youngest children.
Review
""Enchanting... Jack and Holman Wang have done a service to literate families everywhere with their Cozy Classics"" ~ The Wall Street Journal Meghan Cox Gurdon
Review
“Remarkable." -The Telegraph (UK) The Wallstreet Journal
Review
"Quite simply, delightful." -The Paris Review Martin Chilton - The Telegraph (UK)
Review
Featured as an "Adorable Animal Board Book" - Prima Baby Sadie Stein - The Paris Review
Review
"What is Cozy Classics, you might ask? Well, they are a series of board books that adapt classic literature for babies. And boy, are they cute. The books tell the stories of classics using just one word per page, with felt crafted characters. The authors and illustrators are twins Holman and Jack Wang. In the press release, Jack notes: “We created Cozy Classics to revitalize the genre of the baby word books by injecting a sense of narrative and fun for the parent. In doing so, we hope to foster in children a lifelong love of reading and literature.” The books actually tell the novels fairly well (or those who have already read them). Holman states: "Unlike Barney and Dora, Moby Dicks Ishmael and Pride and Prejudices Elizabeth Bennett are characters that children will never outgrow.”
We couldn't agree more." - Huffington Post Prima Baby
Review
"Can you imagine? By combining needle felting, scale model-making, photography and an extraordinary talent for editing, the creators have made it possible for parents all over the world to say “My 3-year-old just finished reading Moby Dick. Hes reading War and Peace next… and what about your child?” - Jolly Reindeer Website Huffington Post
Review
"As a fan of great literature, we were delighted when we received "Moby Dick" and "Pride and Prejudice". These are not the typical large tomes but interpretations especially for baby. We just love reading them to baby... Jack and Holman Wang did a wonderful job on these books and they will always be in baby's book collection." - A List Baby Jolly Reindeer website
Review
"Classics because they are classic stories and cozy because the illustrations are made from felt! Who would have thought you could re-tell Pride and Prejudice in just 12 words - Friends, Sisters, Dance… A fun way to share your love of literature with the littlest people in the house or the perfect gift for the Austen and Melville fans." - Kids' Reading Guide 2012, Australia A List Baby
Review
"Known as Cozy Classics, these books, rather than picking out small details of the stories, and using them as a counting primer (as in 1 governess, 2 rich gentleman) instead give us an abridged (obviously, as they only use twelve words - but such a masterful pick!) account of the tale. The twelve needle-felted illustrations are exquisite." - LoveDecorateLetters Blogspot Australian Booskellers Association - Kids' Reading Guide 2012, Australia
Review
“Why not draw upon some of the world's best literary classics when writing for children - in this case, babies. Brothers Jack Wang and Holman Wang's forthcoming series of board books rewrite (in a LOT fewer words) your high school English syllabus and depict the stories through needle felted figures (hence the "cozy").” - Apartment Therapy LoveDecorateLetters blog
Review
“While surfing the net today, I found the most adorable new baby board books based on classics! Cozy Classics feature photos of needle-felted figures as the illustrations. They are published by Simply Read Books and written and illustrated by Jack Wang and Holman Wang. They are really retro to me in a great way. What a great way to introduce little ones to the classics!” - In the Hammock Blogspot Carrie McBride - Apartment Therapy
Review
“Perhaps youve heard of “fuzzy math”—now theres fuzzy literature, as well. Literally. A new series of picture books illustrates works like Moby Dick with adorable felted figures. Does introducing classics in this way, to children at such a young age, influence their feelings about literature? I dont know, but these books sure are pretty.” - Fiction Review Writers In the Hammock Book Reviews
Review
"Herman Melville's Moby Dick is a book in Jack and Holman Wang's "Cozy Classics" board book series. The series introduces young children to some literary classics "through twelve child-friendly words and twelve needle-felted illustrations". Interesting needle-felted illustrations in this book are for the words: sailor, boat, captain, leg, mad, sail, find, whale, chase, smash, sink and float. Good illustrations will hold a child's attention as they learn words and are introduced to popular stories" - Simcoe.com Celeste NG - Fiction Writers Review
Synopsis
Classics never go out of style--that's what makes them classic. Cozy Classics is a new board book series that presents well-loved stories to children aged 0+. Every classic in the series will be condensed to 12 baby-friendly words, and each word will appear alongside a photograph of needle felted objects. Moby Dick is a high seas adventure about one man's quest to find the whale who took his leg, and one of the world's most beloved classics. Now this classic can be shared with your youngest children.
Video
About the Author
Jack and Holman Wang are twin brothers who grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. They first began writing and illustrating books together in the third grade.
Jack earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from the University of Arizona and a Ph.D. in English with an emphasis in creative writing from Florida State University, where his major area was the history of the novel. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Writing at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, where he specializes in fiction writing.
Holman, an artist and former middle school teacher, holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in architecture history, both from the University of British Columbia. He is the author of Bathroom Stuff, a nonfiction coffee table book on the history of everything in your bathroom, published by SourceBooks in 2001. His work has been featured in newspapers and on TV and radio, including NPR and the CBC.
Jack has three and one year-old daughters. Holman has a two year-old daughter and a six month-old son. They both love reading to their children, and they’re both eager to pass on the classics.