You know how children learn basic shapes. “Here’s a Book of Shapes” introduces young children to circles, squares, triangles, and other familiar shapes while entertaining them with a funny and imaginative story. For young readers, this colorful board book turns a simple educational concept into a fun and surprising experience. At first, everything seems simple: a circle, then a square, then a triangle. But just when children think they know what’s coming next, the story takes a delightfully zany turn with an emu and a pancake cart! This unexpected humor adds greatly to the book’s charm. Instead of simply presenting shapes one after another, the book encourages children to observe carefully, anticipate what comes next, and enjoy the surprise. The illustrations are simple yet charming, featuring animals in amusing situations that make children smile and keep them eager to turn the page. For parents, learning becomes a natural and spontaneous part of daily life. You can sit down together, point out the shapes, name them, and act out the funny scenes together. For teachers, this book can serve as an excellent starting point for introducing basic geometric concepts in a way that is both practical and accessible to young learners.
Kenneth Kraegel is both the author and illustrator of This Is a Book of Shapes. His work combines simple ideas with imaginative illustrations and a strong sense of humor. Rather than presenting shapes in a dry or overly instructional way, he gives them a playful personality through animals and unexpected situations. This creative approach can be especially appealing to young children, who naturally enjoy repetition, funny characters, surprises, and visual details. The book also shows how a simple concept can become the foundation for a memorable story. Parents may appreciate the fact that they can use the book in different ways depending on their child's age and interests. A younger child can simply point to a circle or triangle and hear the name repeated, while an older preschooler can begin looking for shapes in the illustrations and identifying similar forms in everyday life. Teachers and early-learning educators can also use Kenneth Kraegel's book as a conversation starter. After reading it, children can be invited to look around the classroom and find objects that resemble circles, squares, rectangles, or triangles. This turns reading into an interactive activity and helps children connect the pictures in the book with the real world around them. The combination of author and illustrator is particularly effective because the words and pictures work together to create a lively and humorous experience.
The content of This Is a Book of Shapes is simple enough for young children to follow, but it does not stay predictable for long. The book begins with familiar geometric shapes, introducing concepts such as the circle, square, and triangle. These basic forms give children an easy foundation for recognizing and naming shapes. Then comes the unexpected part: the story starts playing with children's expectations. The appearance of an emu pushing a pancake wagon down a hill adds a wonderfully absurd twist that can make the learning experience much more memorable. The illustrations use simple, wood-grained shapes alongside vibrant animal illustrations, creating a distinctive visual style. This contrast gives the book its own personality and makes each page interesting to explore. For parents, reading the book aloud can become a fun little game. Ask your child, “Can you find the circle?” or “Where is the triangle?” Then let them look closely at the page and discover the answer. Teachers can extend the activity by giving children paper shapes and encouraging them to create their own animals, objects, or funny scenes. Children can also be invited to draw a picture using only circles, squares, and triangles. In this way, the book can move naturally from reading to observation, discussion, drawing, and creative play. It is a reminder that early learning can happen through laughter and curiosity as much as through formal exercises.
If you are a parent looking for a playful way to introduce your child to basic shapes, or a teacher searching for an engaging book for an early-learning setting, This Is a Book of Shapes is worth discovering. Its board-book format makes it suitable for young children, while the combination of simple geometric concepts, colorful illustrations, animals, and unexpected humor gives it appeal beyond a traditional concept book. The story can be read quickly, repeated often, and used as the starting point for many simple learning activities. Parents can enjoy a few minutes of shared reading while helping children recognize shapes in a relaxed environment. Teachers can use the book during circle time or as part of a lesson about shapes, colors, animals, or creativity. Most importantly, the book shows children that learning can be surprising and fun. A circle does not have to remain just a circle, and a lesson about triangles does not have to feel like a lesson at all. With Kenneth Kraegel's playful storytelling and distinctive illustrations, children are invited to look, laugh, think, and discover. If you would like to introduce shapes through a book that mixes early learning with humor and imagination, take a closer look at This Is a Book of Shapes. Discover the book on Amazon and bring a little more fun to your child's next reading time!
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