SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: What about Scout?
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COUNTRY: Belgium
NATIONALITY: Flemish
LAST VOLUME: SATA 396
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born August 19, 1957, in Mol, Belgium.
EDUCATION:Attended Academy of Graphic Arts (Mol, Belgium).
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and illustrator.
AWARDS:Prijs van de stad Hasselt (Belgium), 1998, for “Rikki” series; Picture Book of the Year award (Netherlands), 2007, for Kleine Kangoeroe, and 2010, for De wiebelbillenboogie.
WRITINGS
Author’s works have been translated into several languages, including Basque, Farsi, Finnish, French, Frisian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Slovenian, Somali, Swedish, Thai, Vietnamese, and Urdu.
SIDELIGHTS
Popular with young children in his native Belgium, author and illustrator Guido van Genechten engages toddlers with his many books featuring boldly drawn cartoon characters that range from smiling children to wide-eyed zebras to cuddly, flop-eared rabbits. While most of his stories are published in the original Dutch, efforts to translate many of his most popular board books have allowed his work to entertain English-language readers as well. van Genechten worked in the graphic industry before turning his attention fulltime to becoming a creator of children’s books.
In van Genechten’s books, animals often stand in for human children, with humorous results; in Potty Time, for example, a lanky young giraffe, a roly-poly polar bear, and a young boy each take turns testing out a bright red potty chair. In his “Ricky” series a young rabbit engages in typical toddler activities, while an assertive young elephant finds his place in the world in Kai-Mook and its sequels. Praising Ricky’s Christmas Tree, a Publishers Weekly writer asserted that the young rabbit’s “enthusiasm is infectious in van Genechten’s bright, thickly painted scenes,” while another critic in the same periodical wrote of Kai-Mook that with its “entertaining” story and “engaging” cartoon cast, its story “captures the divide between sentimental age and independent youth.”
Turning the pages of The Cuddle Book young children discover that animals and humans are also very different, and that animals express feeling in a variety of ways. While pigs rub noses to show affection, monkeys hug gently and turtles slowly, elephants hug with their trunks, and cats grapple playfully. van Genechten “embraces just the right amount of sentiment” in his text and illustrations, noted a Kirkus Reviews critic, while Ilene Cooper wrote in Booklist that The Cuddle Book is a good story-hour choice, as well as excellent for sharing “one on one, where after the reading, cuddling can ensue.”
The joy of experiencing new things is the focus of van Genechten’s picture books Little Kangaroo and On a Journey. In the former title, a kangaroo mother encourages her shy joey to leave her pouch and investigate the busy, colorful world around them. A Kirkus Reviews contributor applauded the story, calling it “a good choice to reassure less-assertive children that the world is safe and full of sights to explore solo—or with a friend.” The latter tale follows the exploits of animal pals who are polar opposites in temperament. Hedgehog, an adventurous sort, convinces Frog, a homebody, to go for a ride in his convertible. Along the way, Hedgehog’s carefree attitude helps Frog learn to live in the moment. “van Genechten’s bright, colorful illustrations set the two friends against sweeping spreads of distinctly European landscapes,” Chelsea Couillard-Smith observed in School Library Journal .
In Gilbert the Ghost, another self-illustrated work, van Genechten presents “a sweet story about outsider friendship,” according to a Publishers Weekly critic. Pink instead of white, unable to pronounce “Boo,” young Gilbert earns the enmity of his principal who banishes the spirit to the Abandoned Tower. There, Gilbert befriends a black cat who shares the ghost’s affinity for interior decorating. “‘Different’ never looked so appealing,” a writer in Kirkus Reviews commented.
Tobor introduces Ben, a youngster who finds that playtime with his stuffed animals has grown a bit stale. For his fifth birthday, Ben receives a talking robot named Tobor, and the bot’s boundless energy seems like the perfect antidote to his new owner’s boredom. Ben soon grows exhausted by Tobor’s effervescence, though, and he shuts down the toy temporarily. When they resume playing together, Ben teaches the robot some new activities that involve the animal companions. “The cheery palette of the cartoon-style illustrations keeps the tone of the story light as Ben navigates his dynamic with his playmates,” stated a contributor in Kirkus Reviews.
van Genechten also focuses on teaching basic concepts to the board-book set. In Daddies and Their Babies, for example, he introduces ten different animals and their young offspring, from frogs and dogs to caterpillars and crocodiles, allowing children to identify different animals while also capturing the bonds between parent and child. Similarly, How Many Baby Animals? focuses on the relationship between animal mothers and their progeny, from kittens and lambs to chicks and piglets. The mixed-media art “is appealing, with colorful backgrounds and smiling faces,” Gaye Hinchliff opined in School Library Journal.
Little Snowman Stan: Can’t We Share? finds Little Snowman learning to extend help to others when a fellow snowman arrives in Freezeland without a head covering, while preschool gourmands may try out new dining habits after learning how various animals consume their favorite foods in The Big Eating Book. Praising the last-named work for its “lightly applied humor and eye-catching graphics,” a Kirkus Reviews writer asserted that van Genechten’s colorful diner-table “introduction succeeds deliciously.”
In Perhaps, van Genechten explores beginnings and endings by showing how simple forms such as circles and triangles can be used to create complex structures that can later be deconstructed. Catherine Callegari in School Library Journal described Perhaps as “a fascinating concept book that will get kids thinking.” Odd One Out: Big and Small presents toddlers with the opportunity to identify similarities and differences among the animals cavorting at a party. “Visually appealing, this offering will provide some enjoyable practice in categorizing, sorting and identifying differences,” noted a critic in Kirkus Reviews.
van Genechten’s picture book Johnny features Johnny, a friendly spider with a nice smile. However, he is still scary to a lot of other animals. They only throw insults at him even though he is trying to share his birthday cake with them. At the end, Johnny is content to eat the cake by himself, knowing that he is not the monster the other animals have made him out to be. A contributor to Kirkus Reviews commented that “van Genechten has given expectations a good twist, but the story is short on harmony or communication.”
In the picture book The Truth about Dinosaurs, a chicken explains to readers that it is a descendant of the dinosaurs. If the illustrated family tree does not convince readers, the chicken shows how different body parts of dinosaurs are very similar to a chicken’s own anatomy. A Kirkus Reviews contributor suggested that “young readers who think the dinosaurs are all extinct will appreciate this truthful revelation. Well, truth-y, anyway.”
With the board book A Kiss for You, van Genechten introduces a range of diaper-wearing baby animals with oversized heads. The narrator says where the baby animal will be kissed. The cat is kissed on its striped head, the giraffe on its long neck, the elephant on its big ears, and so on. A Kirkus Reviews contributor found the book to be “a sweet reminder to cuddle and kiss throughout a baby’s day.”
In the board book Step by Step, diapered baby animals are preparing to take their first steps and begin walking. The book shows the eagerness of these babies to try despite the physical difficulties. A Kirkus Reviews contributor claimed that the board book is “endearing and just right for little ones trying out their own first steps.” Writing in School Library Journal, Yelena Voysey called it “a perfect book for sharing with caregivers of babies and toddlers who” are just learning to walk
With the plotless board book I’ll Always Hold Your Hand, a caretaker reassures their baby that they will hold it’s hand, play together, and take care of it no matter what. Anthropomorphic animals are also given this reassurance from their parents in a number of loving phrases. A Kirkus Reviews contributor remarked that her “art is as cuddly as ever.” Writing in School Library Journal, Chance Lee Joyner remarked that “this gentle and heartwarming title is a sweet, if unremarkable, addition to any board book collection.”
How Many? uses stuffed animals to help young readers count to ten. Young animals are asked to show off and count their stuffed animals, lining them up so it is easy for the reader to count them as well. A Kirkus Reviews contributor found the book to be “as undeniably charming as a child’s beloved stuffie.” The same reviewer noted that “while there is nothing groundbreaking here, it’s still instructive and enjoyable.”
In Pip’s Book, a yellow chick named Pip talks to the reader, asking for permission so that the longest dog in the world, Timothy vanderlong, can join him in the book. The problem is that Timothy is very long, making it difficult to fit on the page. Readers learn about Pip and Timothy’s friendship, as well as the issue of personal space. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called the picture book “a small story with countless interactive opportunities.”
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What about Scout? is a picture book that celebrates individualism even when everyone else is following the herd. In the story, all the sheep do the same things together, even including going to the bathroom at the same time. All except Scout. Sometimes Scout does things completely differently, such as looking at a butterfly. Sometimes Scout does things slightly differently, such as sleeping on its back while the other sheep sleep on their stomach. Van Genechten’s illustrations provide a fun way for young children to spot what is different about Scout.
A reviewer in Kirkus Reviews thoroughly enjoyed this one and particularly recommended it as a read-aloud that is likely to put little ones to sleep with its “gentle, low-key text.” They also enjoyed the “vivid, ever-changing background colors.”
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BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, October 1, 2001, Kathy Broderick, review of Potty Time, p. 315; December 1, 2004, Ilene Cooper, review of The Cuddle Book, p. 663; November 1, 2010, Hazel Rochman, review of No Ghost under My Bed, p. 78.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, January 1, 2005, Deborah Stevenson, review of The Cuddle Book, p. 231.
Horn Book, November 1, 2012, Viki Ash, review of Daddies and Their Babies, p. 53.
Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 2004, review of The Cuddle Book, p. 1094; December 15, 2008, review of Look at That!; August 15, 2010, review of Ricky and the Squirrel; September 15, 2010, review of No Ghost under My Bed; July 1, 2011, review of Crinkle Animals: Jungle; September 1, 2011, review of Because You Are My Friend; July 1, 2012, review of Mommies and Their Babies and The Big Eating Book; July 15, 2012, review of The Big Woods Orchestra; October 1, 2012, review of Can’t We Share?; November 15, 2012, review of Ricky’s Birthday; July 1, 2013, review of Odd One Out: Big and Small; July 1, 2014, review of Happy Angry Sad; August 1, 2015, review of Gilbert the Ghost; May 1, 2017, review of Little Kangaroo; September 1, 2017, review of Tobor; May 15, 2018, review of Johnny; July 15, 2018, review of The Truth about Dinosaurs; November 15, 2020, review of A Kiss for You; April 15, 2021, review of Step by Step; November 15, 2021, review of I’ll Always Hold Your Hand; June 15, 2022, review of How Many?; July 1, 2022, review of Pip’s Book; May 15, 2023, review of What Do You Do to Fall Asleep?; March 1, 2025, review of What About Scout?
Publishers Weekly, November 26, 2001, review of Shhh!, p. 63; September 27, 2010, review of No Ghost under My Bed, p. 57; May 30, 2011, review of Kai-Mook, p. 67; September 26, 2011, review of Ricky’s Christmas Tree, p. 69; June 11, 2012, review of The Big Woods Orchestra, p. 49; October 15, 2012, review of Can’t We Share?, p. 62; July 27, 2015, review of Gilbert the Ghost, p. 68; June 26, 2017, review of This Book Is Full of Monsters, p. 180; August 14, 2017, review of Tobor, p. 79.
School Library Journal, June 1, 2001, Jane Marino, review of Ricky, p. 131; December 1, 2001, JoAnn Jonas, review of Potty Time, p. 114; October 1, 2010, Tanya Bourdreau, review of No Ghost under My Bed, p. 95, and Lindsay Persohn, review of Ricky and the Squirrel, p. 96; November 1, 2010, Gay Lynn van Vleck, review of Ricky and Annie, p. 86; August 1, 2011, Jayne Damton, review of Kai-Mook, p. 87; October 1, 2011, Eva Mitnick, review of Ricky’s Christmas Tree, p. 98; November 1, 2011, Maryann H. Owen, review of Ricky Is Brave, p. 96; December 1, 2011, Jenna Boles, review of Because You Are My Friend, p. 95; April 1, 2012, Diane Antezzo, review of The Big Eating Book, p. 146; May 1, 2012, Diane Antezzo, review of Daddies and Their Babies, p. 82; June 1, 2012, Rachael Vilmar, review of Little Snowman Stan, p. 100; October 1, 2012, Mary Elam, review of The Big Woods Orchestra, p. 108; January 1, 2013, Diane Antezzo, review of Ricky’s Birthday, p. 87; February 1, 2013, Mary Hazelton, review of Can’t We Share?, p. 89; February 1, 2013, Mary Hazelton, review of Little Snowman Stan: Can’t We Share?, p. 89; March 1, 2013, Laura Hunter, review of Guess What?, p. 132; August 1, 2015, Taylor Worley, review of Little White Fish, p. 63; December 1, 2015, Catherine Callegari, review of Perhaps, p. 96; May 1, 2016, Chelsea Couillard-Smith, review of On a Journey, p. 86; June 1, 2017, Gaye Hinchliff, review of How Many Baby Animals?, p. 66; December 1, 2017, Sally James, review of Tobor, p. 92; January 1, 2021, Chance Lee Joyner, review of I’ll Always Hold Your Hand, p. 53; February 1, 2021, Yelena Voysey, review of Step by Step, p. 56.
ONLINE
Clavis Books, https://www.clavis-publishing.com/ (June 15, 2018), author profile.
Guido van Genechten website, http://www.guidovangenechten.be (March 31, 2021).*
Belgian author and illustrator Guido Van Genechten won the Hasselt International Illustrators Award in 1998 with his picture book "Ricky." This prize was the beginning of his international career as a children’s book illustrator. In 2007 he was the winner of the Reader’s Digest Award for Best Children’s Book Illustrator, and his book "Little Kangaroo" was declared Best Picture Book of the Year. Besides Ricky and Little Kangaroo, Guido has created many popular characters, including Little White Fish, Snowy the polar bear, Tito the clown, and Max the badger. Guido studied drawing and painting, graphics, and photography at the Academy of Fine Arts in Mol, Belgium. For many years he worked in the graphic industry. Now he works as a full-time writer and illustrator of children’s books.
Van Genechten, Guido WHAT ABOUT SCOUT? Clavis (Children's None) $18.95 4, 22 ISBN: 9798890631510
Van Genechten salutes those who refuse to conform.
The sheep in this book all do the same things at the same time: eating, chewing their cuds, and even lifting their tails and depositing droppings. But Scout is different. Scout dreamingly gazes at a butterfly when everyone else munches grass, sleeps upside down with hooves in the air while the others slumber on their bellies, and glances skyward when it's time to frolic. On each spread, an unseen narrator explains a typical event in the day of the life of this herd while also encouraging young readers to examine the visuals closely to find Scout, who's physically similar to the others but always doing something a bit different. The tale ends on a humorous note, with Scout deciding to break free of this relatively humdrum existence. First published in Belgium and the Netherlands and translated from Dutch, the simple text weaves in information about the lives of sheep while supporting those that don't follow the usual path. Sheep lovers will appreciate the illustrations of the animals, with their heavily textured fleeces, but all readers will enjoy the vivid, ever-changing background colors, which make each page turn a treat. With its gentle, low-key text, this one will lull little ones to sleep while reassuring them that being different is more than OK.
A snuggly lap-time read-aloud that celebrates those who stand out from the herd.(Picture book. 4-7)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Van Genechten, Guido: WHAT ABOUT SCOUT?" Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A828785295/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f221f45b. Accessed 30 Aug. 2025.
van Genechten, Guido WHAT DO YOU DO TO FALL ASLEEP? Clavis (Children's None) $18.95 6, 20 ISBN: 9781605378466
A mouse polls his friends about their bedtime routines.
Little Mouse is introduced as inquisitive, and he certainly is. He has big questions, like how to get to the moon and back and how many stars are in the sky, but this energetic, repetitive bedtime tale focuses on more down-to-earth concerns: how Little Mouse's pals get themselves to sleep. Dressed in pajamas covered in stars, Little Mouse appears quite matter-of-factly in his friends' bedrooms in succession. Lift-the-flap elements reveal that Pigeon goes to bed with a huge collection of objects, including a tennis racket, a teddy bear, and a coloring book. Dog rolls around to his back, his stomach, and his side, which will encourage movement. Koala jumps on the bed to ward off ghosts, which might address bedtime fears--though this is a story about finding a bedtime routine rather than dealing with nervousness. Each spread has a similar layout and flow, making it perfect for young children who thrive on repetition. There's a good mix of strategies shared and an ensemble moment before the cozy conclusion. The art is nothing special, but the chance to explore the different bed spaces through lift-the-flap magic will delight tots. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A soothing, sweet, and eager little book. (Picture book. 1-3)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"van Genechten, Guido: WHAT DO YOU DO TO FALL ASLEEP?" Kirkus Reviews, 15 May 2023. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A748974041/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=bdb40a44. Accessed 30 Aug. 2025.