Unique Book Structures
I spend a lot of time with books. Over time, I have come to recognise how the appeal of a book goes beyond the words on its pages. Sometimes, the unusual way a book is presented showcases the unique thinking of its author and editor. This enhances its flavour and enables me to enjoy it better.
Here are some interesting configurations of books I have come across.
To help parents foster a love of reading in their child, some authors purposefully have pages meant to be read aloud by the parent and the child separately. The parent’s lines are typically found on the left page. After s/he reads aloud the more difficult words and complicated sentence structures, the child will continue to read the simpler words on the right page. They then take turns to read their parents until they finish the whole book. I like how each individual knows exactly his or her role in the reading process and contributes to such synergistic reading.
This book on the human body comes with a pointed stick. When my child scratches the pages, interesting information gradually reveals itself. It’s the perfect companion for long flight or train rides because he can use it to entertain himself.
Sometimes, books are not made of paper. I bought this four-character idiom book when I visited Oita, an onsen town in Japan. I was just fascinated by how insightful idioms and illustrations were imprinted on fabric. It was a smooth read for sure, in more ways than one.
You can tell that I adore cotton books because I bought the following book on vehicles for my daughter. Note that it came with cute elephant figurine, which could not be easily detached by her persistent pulling.
Cotton books are not exclusive to the Japanese book publishing industry. For this English book on animal tails, it comes with many different types of tails, thus embodying the sensory experience my children will gain. It will also serve as an interesting resource to impart the different textures of materials when they go to elementary school.
Don’t you think that children’s books are just more fun than their counterparts for teens and adults? lol.