Before & After
Written and Illustrated by Jean Jullien
Phaidon Press   3/13/2017
978-0-7148-7408-1
40 pages    6 ½” X 9”    Ages 2—4

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“An enticing collection of before-and-after scenarios, created by master artist and acclaimed author of This Is Not A Book

“Graphic artist Jean Jullien insightfully and comically depicts a set of clever and surprising before-and-after two-frame narratives, each progressed by a page turn. From pale skin to sunburned skin, dirty to clean, long hair to short hair (to long again), Jullien masterfully builds anticipation and a satisfying resolution with each pairing. Striking the perfect balance of predictability and unexpectedness, this book will leave readers in wonder as they flip back and forth.” [INSIDE JACKET]

Review
[WC 277]
“Before” the baby is born, both mom and dad are a tad fat around the waist. “After” a thin mom looks at Dad holding the new baby on his own—remaining— “baby bump.” A frazzled cat sits licking its paw. Fur seems to fly all over the spread. That is “Before.” Turn the page to find the cat shiny and new, clean from head to tail. Each pairing is comical and imaginative, and often predictable, though no own will care. Children will want to guess the “after” and anxiously await the answer.

Occasionally, Jullien offers a three-spread set adding in “during” to show children how the before changed to the after. For example, the roller-coaster ride depicts father and son happily awaiting the ride’s take-off. “During” finds the son enjoying every twist and turn, while dad tries to enjoy the ride but his face registers fear. “After” the ride winds down, both father and son looked tossed about and wide-eyed, but the son’s eyes are filled with wonder and excitement, while dad’s clearly say, “never again!”

To get the most joy out of Jean Jullien’s sometime predictable, child-friendly narratives, you need to share them. Many will have children thinking and questioning how or why, but will always have them laughing—and flipping back and forth to get the most out of the images. Parents will appreciate the easy-to-clean, thick pages perfect for little hands prone to tearing regular pages.

Board book collectors—you know who you are—will love this whimsical tour of Jullien’s imagination and creativity. Parents looking for a smart, graphically excellent experience for their children will find Before & After the perfect afternoon read.

BEFORE & AFTER. Text and illustrations copyright © 2017 by Jean Jullien. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Phaidon Press, New York, NY.

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Reprinted with permission from BEFORE & AFTER © 2017 by Jean Jullien, Phaidon Press. Illustrations © 2017 by Jean Jullien.

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Copyright © 2017 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved

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Before & After
Written and Illustrated by Jean Jullien
Phaidon Press 3/13/2017
9780714874081