Shapescapes - by Magda Gargulakova & Stepanka Sekaninova (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

With detailed illustrations, this conceptual book provides young readers with a playful, geometric adventure in a fun world of shapes.

Shapes provide space and offer boundaries, allowing kids to let their imagination run wild and watch all the shapes come to life. In this captivating book, children will enter a world of shapes and imagination to learn about geometry. Using the following basic geometric shapes as a foundation...

• Circle


• Triangle


• Square


• Rectangle


• Oval


• Trapezium

...children will experience an array of colorful and detailed illustrations that feature various structures and locations, such as:

• Ferris wheel


• Spiral staircase


• Roundabout


• Whirlpool


• Telescope


• Velodrome


• Maze


• Bed


• House


• Soccer field


• Swimming pool


• Town square


• Attic


• Tent


• Pyramid


• Mountain


• Sailing boat


• Castle

A representative example is:

The tent looks like a triangle

A triangle in a backpack? That must be a tent! Packed on your back, it travels the world with you. And when you get tired of walking, you just take it off. And there it is . . . A whole home squeezed into a triangle. Small but cozy, you can fit in everything you need! You, your friend, your things, especially your essential map.

The illustrations are packed with interesting details, entertaining situations, and plenty of things to discover. There is even a little search-and-find game throughout the book where children can look for a hidden teddy bear on each spread. Along the way, children will be able to recognize shapes quickly and easily, while having lots of fun doing so. This unique approach to storytelling stimulates children's imagination while helping them to uncover new levels of perception. Not only will they learn about basic shapes, but they will also improve their visual perception and attention to detail.

With this book, children will recognize shapes quickly and easily and have lots of fun along the way. With its whimsical illustrations, Shapescapes is sure to capture the hearts and minds of young readers aged 3-6, making this an ideal book for any child who loves to learn and have fun at the same time. The illustrations are enchanting and will keep children engaged for hours.

Review Quotes

"Shape Scapes, written by Magda Gargulakova and Stepanka Sekaninova, illustrated by Lukas Fibrich, is perfect for young children, but can interest even adults. It's obvious that shapes are everywhere, but taking the time to see them in the everyday, picking the extraordinary out of the ordinary, is something that not everyone tries to do. Watching shapes stand out before your very eyes can be intoxicating and especially exciting for young children who are just learning to see everything that lies before them. Learning to see them and discover how they provide space and offer boundaries is what this book aims to do." --Beth Rodgers, YA Books Central

"A fun way to learn more about shapes and the world we see everyday." --Vicky Tandy, Athol Public Library, Youth Services Book Review

"The illustrations really make this book special. Basic shapes are everywhere, and the vibrant, cartoony imagines bring them to life!" --Sarah S., Woods Hole Public Library

About the Author

Magda Gargulakova has a degree in Art History and is a co-founder and also curator of the OFF/FORMAT gallery in Brno, Czech Republic, which exhibits and promotes contemporary progressive art, mostly by young artists. She worked for a time in marketing, but her love affair with books has been a long one. For OFF/FORMAT, she has edited and published several art publications. Since 2019, she has added to this experience as an editor of literature for very young readers at Albatros Media, using her two daughters for quality control.

Stepanka Sekaninova used to work as a TV reporter and in the production of children's programs. Now she is a writer and an editor-in-chief, living in the Czech Republic.

Lukas Fibrich, born in 1974 in the Czech Republic, graduated from the Department of Animated Film at the Film and TV School in Prague and the Studio of Film and TV Graphics at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, Czech Republic. He is a house artist for the Czech ABC magazine, where he has his own comic strip, and his work appears regularly in a Czech history magazine for children. He has also illustrated 20 language coursebooks and works with various advertising agencies and filmmakers.