My Little Wonder. Welcome Sweet Baby

Mack (1960, the Netherlands) is a graphic designer and illustrator from The Netherlands. He was educated at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. During his education, he made funny and educational cartoons about, among others, penguins and whales. These cartoons were later bought by the ‘Diergaarde Blijdorp’-zoo in Rotterdam. By now Mack is a regular illustrator at this animal park and he is the author of several children’s books, in which animals often are the lead characters. Mack has a primitive way of drawing. He gets inspired by African art and the paintings of the Australian aboriginals. Both create immense power by simplifying shapes. Mack wants to combine that powerful simplification with a subtle sense of humor. “In my books I try to teach children something in a funny way,” Mack says. “If I draw a penguin, it doesn’t matter to me that much how pretty he is or how good of a swimmer he is. What I want to show the most is how baggy he stands on the ice and how funny his walk is. That funny bagginess is what I try to catch in a couple of lines. Only when children can laugh about it, I think to myself: ‘Yes, I did it’.”

"A little chick brings gifts to newborn animals.So many babies have been born, and Chick wants to visit them all. Baby bunnies with tiny puffball tails get a colorful bunting as a present—and a hug. A baby squirrel, high up in a treetop nest, gets a nut—and a kiss. Each animal gets a simple treat along with praise for learning and growing. “Hi, little monkey! Are you able to move across the trees, just like your mommy? Well done! Here’s a delicious little banana!” Chick understands—being tiny as well—that these babies are on their own journeys of discovery, and Chick wants to cheer them on as much as possible. Simple line drawings set against uncluttered backdrops that are dotted with colorful flowers add a delicate, joyful touch to Chick’s expedition. It’s certainly not geographically sound—Chick sees a wide variety of animals, including elephants and penguins, seemingly all in one day—but at least the minimal landscapes do change appropriately. There isn’t a dynamic story arc, with Chick simply walking from one family to the next, but the tiny fowl’s spindly legs carry a great big heart. Though not, strictly speaking, a board book, this offering features a padded cover and rounded, card-stock pages that suit it to a toddler audience.Chick’s two oft-repeated words, sweet and cute, accurately sum up this tale." - Kirkus Reviews