Synopses & Reviews
How do you make the ordinary extraordinary? With a little bit of oomph! An utterly inspiring and playful new book on creativity from Barney Saltzberg, author of Beautiful Oops!, A Little Bit of Oomph! teaches the invaluable lesson of throwing your heart into whatever you're doing and trying just a little bit harder-- because with a little extra effort and a lot of oomph, you can make anything beautiful.
With a little bit of oomph you can help a sprinkle of seeds--lift flap--become a magical, three-dimensional bouquet of flowers. With a little bit of oomph, small notions--like a goldfish in a little bowl--open out to big oceans (just look through the peephole!). Oomph can transform a dog's tail into a funny tale (there's a miniature book involved). Oomph changes curiosity into discovery, daydreams into playthings, your singing into others' dancing.
A triumph of imagination, vibrant, colorful art, and paper engineering, A Little Bit of Oomph! is filled with pop-ups, lift-the-flaps, spinning circles and gatefolds--and, underlying every page, Barney's timeless message that creativity is for everyone. Just add a little bit of oomph.
Review
"A heaping helping of abstract uplift."
-Kirkus Reviews
"Saltzberg builds on the inspirational advice of Beautiful Oops! in a companion book that is encouraging without being cloying. . . . Throughout, Saltzberg's enthusiastic mixed-media paintings are in and of themselves a testament to the fertile possibilities that accompany an open mind."
-Publishers Weekly, starred review
Review
andquot;...Saltzbergand#39;s clever conceit makes the metaphorical literalandmdash;and palpableandmdash;for very young readers. An absolutely nifty invitation to children to create and share their own wee books.andquot;
Review
andquot;The novel format...proves that self-publishing was a kid thing long before adults claimed it and should be an effective prompt for family and classroom activities.andquot;
Review
andquot;Charming childlike illustrations appear to be created with pen and ink, watercolors, and crayon and are simple and appealing...Creative children will be inspired to put their own thoughts and pictures down on paper.andquot;
Synopsis
Inside This Book is a tribute to self-publishing in its most pure and endearing form. Three siblings create three books of their own using blank paper that they bind together (in descending sizes to match birth order). One siblingandrsquo;s work inspires the next, and so on, with each bookandrsquo;s text and art mirroring the distinct interests and abilities of its creator. Upon completion of their works, the siblings put one book inside the other, creating a new book to be read and shared by all!
About the Author
Barney Saltzberg is the author and illustrator of more than 30 books for children, including Beautiful Oops!, Arlo Needs Glasses, Good Egg, and the bestselling Touch and Feel Kisses series with over 800,000 copies in print. Additionally, he’s recorded four CDs of music for children. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, two dogs, and a pond full of fish.