Fluffy and fun, as expected.
A lonely little cloud named Ploof needs your help.
This interactive picture book directly addresses children, encouraging participation with Ploof. When Ploof is feeling shy, readers are told to clap for encouragement. Similarly, when the cloud “runs…out of steam,” readers are asked to “blow softly on Ploof” to “puff Ploof back up.” The illustrations are simple and clear. For the most part, the recto of each spread includes text set against a white background, while the verso depicts the cloud against a soft, sky-blue background—an effect that focuses readers’ attention on Ploof. This little white cotton ball of a cloud has an expressive face and large, oval-shaped eyes, used to great effect to convey Ploof’s shyness, weariness, and worry. The seek-and-find pages might be the most fun; readers must spot Ploof, who’s hiding among a field of sheep and in a sky full of kites. Interactive books like this are popular for a reason, and this one fits the mold rather than breaking it. Adults and caregivers looking for a sweet, reader-facing read-aloud will be satisfied with this one; those seeking something nonformulaic need to look elsewhere. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Fluffy and fun, as expected. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781774881927
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2023
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...
A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.
Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
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