Book Adventures: (PicBk) Cozy Classics: Pride & Prejudice by Jack & Holman Wang

Waaaaaa! Super cute! 12 appropriate words + 12 amazingly creative felt scenes = 1 of the cutest and cleverest books ever! And it's a board book! The Pride and Prejudice installment of the new Cozy Classics series by the brothers Wang is so fun and clever! Perfect for the parents who want to start 'em out on classics young. And seriously? Perfect for anyone who loves the classics if only for the illustrations!
Jack & Holman Wang have distilled Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice down to twelve simple words and have paired them with twelve beautiful needle felted scenes. The book acts as a primer (similar to those number, color, & shape books, but not as common and over-used), using words that very young children can relate to, such as "friends", "sisters", dance", & "mean". The simple text and creative illustrations act as a gateway to parent narratives and quality time.

          Pretty much, the Wang twins, Jack & Holman, are geniuses. They both hold master's degrees, they've both been teachers, Jack has a PhD, Holman's published a bathroom book, and now they've created something fresh and clever with classic stories that both grown-ups and terribly young kids can enjoy. That's the genius part, I mean they're smart, but they're also creative and ingenuitive (yes, I just made up that word).
                 All of the images in the Cozy Classics are made by Jack & Holman using felt and the resulting scale models. There are no computer tricks or enhancements. The backgrounds are au natural, too.
          There are a few different ways to turn wool into felt such as carroting and wet felting, but needle felting, as the name implies, uses special needles that tangle the uppermost wool fibers with the underneath ones, thus creating a compressed, sturdy fabric. A single needle or a small group of needles is used to create details and 3D/sculpted felt-art. I totally want to try this! If I do, I'll be sure to link my pictures here. For more information on wool & needle felting, click here. Watch the video below for a look at how a character for the Cozy Classics is created.

Right now, the Cozy Classics 12 word & 12 picture series includes Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Herman Melville's Moby Dick. Victor Hugo's Les Misérables will come out on May 30, 2013, followed by Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace on Sept. 30, 2013. Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is also slated for a Fall 2013 release. Please click on the images below to order or pre-order!