Kid Konnection: Tinyville Town Books

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week I'm going to share with you a few picture books from a very special new series.

Summary: The Tinyville Town series, new from New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Brian Biggs, launches with three books: Tinyville Town Gets to Work!, a world-establishing picture book that introduces the town and its many residents, and two board books, I’m a Veterinarian and I’m a Firefighter. The series is set in a cozy community where the people are kind, everyone says hello when they’re walking down the street, the bus is always on time, and all the townsfolk do their part to keep things running smoothly. Everyone has a job to do in Tinyville Town. With a nod to the busy world of Richard Scarry and the neighborhood feel of Sesame Street, this new series will become a favorite read for preschoolers and is ideal for story time and class discussions about occupations and community helpers. Tinyville Town is a growing, thriving city full of interesting people. They can’t wait to show readers around!

In I’m a Firefighter, we see what it’s like in a day in the life of a town firefighter. As soon as the fire alarm rings, Fireman Charlie is ready to go, go, go! When he’s not fighting fires, there’s plenty to do, like cook meals for the crew, Charlie’s favorite job of all. Firefighters are perennially popular with young readers. This is an ideal read for fire prevention lessons and as a tribute to local hero firefighters. -- Abrams Appleseed

Summary: In I’m a Veterinarian, we see what it’s like in a day in the life of a town animal doctor. Tinyville Town’s veterinarian begins her day at home with her two cats, two dogs, and one fish. Once at work, she examines a firefighter’s dalmatian, who is not feeling well at all. Follow along as the vet runs tests and makes a surprising discovery! This book will comfort a child bringing a beloved pet to the vet for the first time, and satisfy an inquisitive child’s curiosity about what an animal doctor does, how they are able to diagnose so many different kinds of pets, and how their office is different from their own doctors.

Every town has at least one vet office, and Tinyville’s is the one kids will want to visit again and again. -- Abrams Appleseed

Summary: In Tinyville Town Gets to Work!, we see the evolution of a construction project to solve a problem. When there is a traffic jam on the Tinyville Town bridge, the residents decide to work together to build a new one. By following the hard work of the engineers and construction workers, readers will get to meet many different people in the town while watching the exciting new bridge take shape. The large picture book format and Biggs’s bright art brilliantly show the bridge, which was extensively researched to make it authentic for readers.

Every town has a bridge, and a trip over Tinyville’s new one will be fun for kids time and time again. -- Abrams Appleseed

I am so excited to share with you three books in a new series by best-selling author and illustrator Brian Biggs -- TINYVILLE TOWN: I'M A FIREFIGHTER, TINYVILLE TOWN: I'M A VETERINARIAN, and TINYVILLE TOWN GETS TO WORK! These three books are perfect for preschool age kids and have some great messages. I love them!

The Tinyville Town series are guaranteed to remind you a little bit of Richard Scarry's Busytown books. They showcase the town of Tinyville and its residents as well as how they contribute to making Tinyville a great place to live. The people are nice and polite, the town is clean, and everyone contributes to make it a happy place. What's even more exciting is that these books feature a diverse cast of characters!!!

There are three books available now with the plan for more in the future. There are two board books that teach kids about various jobs -- I'M A FIREFIGHTER and I'M A VETERINARIAN. (I'M A LIBRARIAN is next!); and one picture book titled TINYVILLE TOWN GETS TO WORK! All three are adorable.

I'M A FIREFIGHTER and I'M A VETERINARIAN have cute illustrations and only a few words on each page making them perfect for the younger crowd. There are lots of details in the illustrations which make them extra-fun, and the stories introduce little ones to the professions of firefighter and vet. Children will also appreciate seeing different images and citizens of Tinyville as well as following these people in their daily jobs. I especially liked the I'M A VETERINARIAN book because there is a little surprise for the reader, and I think children will appreciate understanding what it's like for an animal (and its owner) to visit a pet doctor.

TINYVILLE TOWN GETS TO WORK! is another adorable book. This one is is a full-size picture book and has a few more words per page and as well as more detailed illustrations, but I still think it's perfect for preschoolers. This book gives readers an inside look at this fantastic town and introduces a variety of its townspeople including a baker, a bus drive, a trash collector, the mayor, and more.

TINYVILLE TOWN GETS TO WORK! demonstrates what happens when this small town finds itself facing the problem of a traffic jam. The mayor, whose job is solving problems, decides (with a little help from the town's residents) that they need a bridge. The mayor meets with and engineer and city planner, and they decide on a plan for a new bridge. Many different people come together to create this beautiful bridge including a demolition crew, ironworkers, a road crew. Together they build the Tinyville Town Bridge! I love how this book shows how everyone in the town came together and used their special talents to solve the crisis -- what a great concept!

Overall, I was very impressed with the Tinyville Town books and think they are a must-have at preschool and home libraries. Highly recommended!

Thanks to the publisher for providing review copies of these books.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!