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LLAMA LLAMA MAD AT MAMA

Name: LLAMA LLAMA MAD AT MAMA
Author: Anna Dewdney
ISBN: 978-0-670-06240-9

by Anna Dewdney & illustrated by Anna Dewdney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2007

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Adorable and endearing Llama Llama, who made his first appearance in Dewdney’s Llama Llama Red Pajama (2005), returns, this time throwing a temper tantrum at the Shop-O-Rama. Mama takes quick control of the situation, first getting Llama Llama to stop throwing all of the groceries out of the shopping cart and then speaking gently to him: “Please stop fussing, little llama. / No more of this llama drama. / I think shopping’s boring, too— / but at least I’m here with you.” Together, the two clean up the mess, finish the shopping and then go for ice cream. In clever rhymes that will induce giggles in readers of all ages, Dewdney creates a touching resolution to an all-too-familiar parental predicament. The well-told story, along with the bold colors of the illustrations and the precisely rendered expressions on Llama Llama’s face—from dismay at having to put away his toys to go shopping, to rage as he throws his temper tantrum, to chagrin in its aftermath, to pure delight as he enjoys his ice cream cone—make this a perfect choice for preschool read-alouds. (Picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2007

ISBN: 978-0-670-06240-9

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2007

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
LLAMA LLAMA'S LITTLE LIE
by Anna Dewdney & Reed Duncan ; illustrated by JT Morrow

- BOOK REVIEW
LLAMA LLAMA SHAPES
developed by Anna Dewdney ; illustrated by JT Morrow

- BOOK REVIEW
LLAMA LLAMA BACK TO SCHOOL
by Anna Dewdney & Reed Duncan ; illustrated by JT Morrow

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S HALLOWEEN

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2016

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.

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A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.

Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: July 5, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3

Page Count: 16

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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YOUR BABY'S FIRST WORD WILL BE DADA

by Jimmy Fallon ; illustrated by Miguel Ordóñez ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 9, 2015

Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.

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A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.

A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.

Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)