It doesn’t dig deep for truck information, but it hauls high-interest illustrations for young fanatics.
This oversized board book covers trucks of all types, from construction vehicles to farming equipment.
There really are 101 different trucks, and readers can even see (and count!) them all together on the final spread. Each double-page spread features a different truck type, with a short description. The accompanying illustrations show one in action on the verso while the recto presents stand-alone, labeled pictures of an additional 15 or more. The text itself is simple and straightforward. The general, brief descriptions of each type are helpful, but none of the individual trucks have explanations. Because the illustrations largely appear with no context, this can make understanding the work of the less-common vehicles—the “cold planer,” for example—a challenge. Additionally, some trucks are listed under confusing headings. The bookmobile is listed as a “helper” truck even though the “carriers” are defined on the previous spread as “bring[ing] books or baggage.” The illustrations are cute, all rendered so that the front headlights and grille become facial features. Even with this anthropomorphization, each still has an impressive amount of detail. Enthusiasts will love the inclusion of lesser-known trucks such as the “trencher” and “storm chaser” and will also delight in seeing familiar favorites.
It doesn’t dig deep for truck information, but it hauls high-interest illustrations for young fanatics. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: May 28, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-25938-4
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.
This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.
Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Clear nonfiction for the very young is hard to come by, and it appears that the Look & Learn series may finally be on...
An exploration of the human body through colorful photos.
Every other double-page spread labels the individual parts on one major area: head, torso, back, arm and leg. Ethnically diverse boy-girl pairs serve as models as arrows point to specific features and captions float nearby. While the book usefully mentions rarely depicted body parts, such as eyebrow, armpit and shin, some of the directional arrows are unclear. The arrow pointing at a girl’s shoulder hits her in the upper arm, and the belly button is hard is distinguish from the stomach (both are concealed by shirts). Facts about the human body (“Guess what? You have tiny hairs in your nose that keep out dirt”) appear on alternating spreads along with photos of kids in action. Baby Animals, another title in the Look & Learn series, uses an identical format to introduce readers to seal pups, leopard cubs, elephant calves, ducklings and tadpoles. In both titles, the final spread offers a review of the information and encourages readers to match baby animals to their parents or find body parts on a photo of kids jumping on a trampoline.
Clear nonfiction for the very young is hard to come by, and it appears that the Look & Learn series may finally be on the right track despite earlier titles that were much too conceptual for the audience. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4263-1483-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: National Geographic
Review Posted Online: April 29, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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BOOK REVIEW
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