Guess what it is: Shadow Play and Hide and Seek in Nature by Helena Harastova and Serafima Kosikava, translated by Andrew Oakland

 This is an interesting set of guessing game titles, using strategically placed cut-outs to encourage kids to guess the answer to various natural objects.

Hide and Seek in Nature features animals and plants. Each spread follows the same layout. On the left, a page with a solid background color has a simple sentence or two around a cut-out showing part of an image to identify. For example, "It seems like we're deep in the jungle... Who can that be, grinning at us?" On the right, there are four options to identify the image seen through the cut-outs with a question for each object like "Are they monkeys?" The left page folds out to reveal the answer to the riddle, showing the plant or animal in context and giving a few simple facts about it.

Some of the answers can be narrowed down by very close examination, or by looking at the slice of image not hidden by the fold-out page, but it's not possible to choose a single definite answer as no clues are given and multiple images are identical to the cut-out image.

In Shadow Play it's equally difficult to guess the image that matches the shadow seen through the cut-out page, especially as some of the "correct" answers show shadows that don't actually match the item they outline. They're also shown sideways or upside-down.

Both books have thin, cardboard pages and would technically be classified as board books, although they are very different from the traditional board book. I, personally, being someone who likes there to be one correct answer, found these exasperating and frustrating. I think a certain number of children will agree with me. However, I also think there's value in having books that make you think and ponder and realize that sometimes there just isn't one correct answer!

Verdict: These won't be for every kid, but they will be fun to spark discussion about perspectives as well as inspiring kids to observe nature.

Hide and Seek in Nature ISBN: 9788000072883; Hardcover on Baker & Taylor for $11.96

Shadow Play ISBN: 9788000072876; Hardcover on Baker & Taylor for $14.20

Published November 2024 by Albatros Media; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library