Between Books - The Orange Bird (Little Golden Book)

 

Citrus Swirl or Dole Whip…make your choice! At least that’s how it always seems to me. I am a Dole Whip type of guy. But I understand the love of Citrus Swirl and how the Orange Bird creates nostalgia for this treat! And the Orange Bird makes a super cute lead for a Little Golden Book!

The Orange Bird written and illustrated by Jason Grandt and Scott Tilley gives the beloved Disney marketing creation of all things oranges a backstory. In Florida, one can find the beloved Sunshine Tree. where the farmer grows the juiciest oranges under the gaze of the Orange Bird. The Orange Bird is a quiet bird with the special ability to provide thought bubbles with images. The Orange Bird works and plays with the farm birds, but the farm cat Clementine wants to chase not play. Can Orange Bird be a superhero and save its friends?

The Orange Bird is cute with a simple story. We all know why a cat chases birds. I do go into these books wondering how one would use the book to connect a youngster to the parks, in this case, Walt Disney World. The opening pages and cute illustrations do a great job of preparing a kiddo to visit Florida. But beyond that, not so much. Kids will not meet Orange Bird in the park, and they won’t visit the Sunshine Tree or the farm. They will get to enjoy a Cirtus Swirl, but that’s about all.

The story itself has a lot of words. And they are big ones. So they may help a young reader to add words like “plump” to their vocabulary. But it also is not a book that an early reader will likely be able to manage on their own. It is a more complex book than I expected from a Little Golden Book. 

The Orange Bird written and illustrated by Jason Grandt and Scott Tilley is a cute little farm story. I did find myself, as a superhero fan, enjoying the twist of an ending. Though as a word of caution, the book has a heavier-than-expected vocabulary that may not be within reach for all early readers.

 

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Between Books - Figment

 

Here it comes again, Between Disney to bully a children’s book!

And to make it even more likely, it’s about Figment. And Between Disney has only experienced the current and least beloved versions of his attraction! What could go wrong?

Figment written by Jason Grandt and illustrated by Scott Tilley, Nick Balian, and Jason Grandt is the latest Little Golden Book to catch the interest of Disney fans. The basic plot is that Dreamfinder introduces readers to his newest creation Figment. The two heroes then explore the pages of the book to collect ideas to inspire imagination. The two explore art, science, sound, and more to fill the idea bag. The book ends with the gift of an idea from Figment to Dreamfinder, the type of gift that every parent can understand!

I don’t dislike Figment. I don’t love Figment. I do like the idea of Figment and his boostering of imagination. I do love imagination! But I also was never the right age or saw the right version of the attraction to go deep into Figment fandom.

I do like the book. It’s colorful. The illustrations are delightful. And Jason Grandt, being an Imagineer knows how to give Dreamfinder and Figment all the homages they need with references to the Dream Moblie, Dreamport, and other Disney attractions. I am convinced that future readings will uncover new Easter eggs.

Storywise it’s pretty simple. And the team does use Sherman Brother’s lyrics which eliminates my only real worry. And for a kiddo, it does support the idea to be curious and that inspiration for imagination can come from anywhere…and no one can complain about that!

Figment by Jason Grandt and illustrated by Scotty Tilley, Nick Balian, and Jason Grandt completes the assignment. It introduces kids to Dreamfinder and Figment or keeps them connected if the child met them in the park. The Little Golden Book captures the spirit of the attraction with a call to imagine.

Don’t we all need a little imagination? 

 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that Between Disney receives a percentage of sales purchased through links on this site.