★★★★★ This is a neat and unique book. It was created through abstract artwork or "splats" which the author then turned into imaginary creatures. Each page features a strange creature, it's name, species name (ex. thinkalotus, snarlalot) and a 1-3 sentence description about the species. The pictures are simple but bright in colour and often look funny or strange. I think that young children would find this book entertaining and enjoy looking at the pictures. As a grade 3 teacher I could see using this book as part of an art lesson or as a mentor text for writing a simple class book. I look forward to purchasing a copy for my classroom library and would recommend it to other teachers as well.

★★★★★ We love trying to figure out how the illustrator created the illustrations for a book and in this one they tell you right in the book! It was funny to see the different Splats and read their stories. It inspired us to make our own Splats using liquid watercolors. We made a Fire-a-Saurus, Fatmango, Flying Monkey, and The Carouselasaurus.

★★★★★ In the year 2001, Simon Crack submitted a collection of paintings of weird creatures as a project for his college Art and Design Foundation course. Inspired by that project, Splats contains illustrations of uniquely inventive creatures born out of randomly dripped colored ink on paper and gradually drawn into some truly mesmerizing shapes. Each creature is assigned fun-filled traits and characteristics that will appeal to children and light a spark to their unlimited imagination. The bright and vibrant choice of colors makes the illustrations pop out of the pages, making it easier to catch the young reader's eye. The excerpts accompanying them give an idea of how living beings in the real world are attuned to nature, and their physical makeup is dictated by the needs of their surrounding environment.

Splats is a delightful collection of illustrations and excerpts that are bound to inspire children into picking up a paintbrush. Author Simon Crack provides a creative way for children to express their limitless potential through art, which is not only a fun way to pass their time but it also invigorates their vast imagination. Apart from the excerpts that come with each illustration, Crack also leaves room for kids to use their own imagination and fill in the blanks in some of the paintings that are left without any writing beside them. My favorite aspect of the book is that every illustration seemed to be initially created by a random splash of colors and later given shape and meaning through a personal touch. Splats is a children's picture book I highly recommend.

★★★★★ It arrived yesterday, thank you, I just love it, can't wait to sit down and read it with the little ones when they next pop in. X

★★★★★ With different, imaginative creatures on each page, Splats by Simon Crack tells the story of several different creatures, from Splarks to Meanies to Splooges and more. In bright, painted colors, each page gives a short description of the various creatures, as well as an alternative name for them. For example, the Leggie is a very tall creature with long legs; however, it is scared of heights, which is ironic! Every page shares different fun facts, taking young readers on an informative journey through this world of imaginative creatures who all look so much fun. Simon Crack’s book, Splats, is a wonderful read that is sure to make children smile!

Splats by Simon Crack is an easy-to-read, creative children’s picture book that is unlike anything I have ever read in terms of the art and imagination this story encourages. I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it and love how interactive it is at the end, with some blank pages encouraging children to draw their own splats. I could see from where the inspiration was drawn for a couple of the pages, but overall, each of these illustrations was very unique and different. I loved the vibrant colors throughout each page, drawing readers' eyes to each creature. I would recommend Splats to all young children, especially those who love to come up with their own creatures and stories. It is easy to read yet would still provide learning opportunities for children on the younger side who are developing their reading skills.