The Corner Penthouse

Insight Editions will release six educational PlayPop books in 2020, which introduce kids to beloved characters and films, such as Ghostbusters and E.T., while developing essential skills and concepts including first words, counting, colors, and shapes. The line begins with two titles set for release on February 4, 2020: Ghostbusters: 1 to 10 Slimer's Loose Again and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: E.T.'s First Words. Even though the release date is a month away, the kind folks at Insight Editions sent along copies of both books now, so I might as well do an EARLY REVIEW of them. (The Slimer review can be found on Spook Central.)


E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: E.T.'s First Words is an educational board book for ages "3 and up", with illustrations by Adam Record. The book measures 7"x7" and contains 10 pages with spinner wheels on the right side.


Since the book is meant for little kids, the concept is very simple. Each page shows E.T. engaging in an activity, and the reader has to use the spinner wheel on the side to find the right word to describe what he's doing. This allows kids to increase their vocabulary in a fun interactive way. For example, one page shows E.T. looking down at a trail of Reese's Pieces, while the caption says, "E.T. likes to eat [blank]". On another page, E.T. has an old rotary phone in his hand, with a caption that reads, "E.T. wants to phone [blank]". The animated gif below, provided by Insight Edition's PR department, shows off the concept.


I think little kids will LOVE the book; both the interactive aspect of it and the cute illustrations reminiscent of the Little Golden Books series. Highly recommended if you have little ones you want to get hooked on E.T. while they're young, or if you simply want a cute little book to display on a shelf amongst your other E.T collectibles.


Both PopPlay books - Ghostbusters: 1 to 10 Slimer's Loose Again and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: E.T.'s First Words - are currently available for pre-order from Amazon.

According to the press release: "In Summer 2020, the PlayPop series continues with books inspired by Back to the Future and Jim Henson's Labyrinth, and in Fall 2020, a board book based on The Dark Crystal and another engaging Ghostbusters title will be released."

This item has been provided by Insight Editions for review on this site.