• Cozy Classics: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
• by Jack & Holman Wang
• published by Simply Read Books
• Roar Score: 4/5

Board books based on literary classics? Be still my heart. How have I not seen these before? There are many titles (including Moby Dick, Pride & Prejudice, and Jane Eyre), but–to be perfectly honest–I needed to see how Huck Finn was treated for the toddler set.

The entire story has been distilled down to 12 words and related images. That’s it. 12 words. All of Huck Finn in 12 words.

And would you believe it actually does a fairly good job of representing the story? I was amazed. Now, to be fair, these 12 words and images convey the story to those of us who are already in the know. To a toddler, it doesn’t mean much.

But. But! The beauty of these books is that they provide wonderful stimuli for further discussion. Granted, I doubt many parents will be diving into the history of slavery with their preschoolers, but inspired parents can talk about some of the emotions and ideas that form the foundation of the novel.

The images live up to the series name. Cozy is the best word I can use to describe them. All of the characters are represented in felt, and it makes Huck and Jim feel like something you’d find at a Saturday afternoon craft show.

Verdict? The idea of literary board books for babies wins outright, based on the concept alone. And Huck Finn doesn’t disappoint (so long as you’re not actually looking for a deep view into the novel). I wish these had been around when my kids were into board books.

Still, I am curious to see how they’ve whittled down 1,000+ pages of Les Miserables….