As in the Georges’ earlier offerings, Number Work and Letter Work (both 2012), this outing is appropriate for youngsters who...
Montessori experts offer a handsome, in-depth exploration of shapes.
As the parent note on the verso of the cover states, the shapes are presented from the concrete to the abstract. Three varieties of triangles, all with a tactile feature created by cutting away the top layer of the board page, are presented, allowing readers to feel and understand the geometric concept. On the following pages, these triangles are more specifically named (isosceles, equilateral and right-angled) and shown in their real-world contexts as an evergreen tree, the roof of a house and a sail on a boat, respectively. Rounds (circle, ellipse and oval) come next, followed by parallelograms and polygons presented in the same format. Nassner’s crystal-clear graphics in natural colors against faux wood grain, give the book much-needed warmth. This is an advanced take on shapes, with mathematically accurate vocabulary (“rhombus” is used rather than the more colloquial “diamond,” for example), and shapes are flipped and turned when presented as real-world objects (the egg-shaped “oval” is shown narrow end up in its abstract form and with narrow side down as a balloon). There are some clever and surprising things used to illustrate where shapes can be found, such as the black pentagons found on the typical soccer ball.
As in the Georges’ earlier offerings, Number Work and Letter Work (both 2012), this outing is appropriate for youngsters who have moved beyond the basics. (Board book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4197-0935-7
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
Let these crayons go back into their box.
The Crayons return to celebrate Easter.
Six crayons (Red, Orange, Yellow, Esteban, who is green and wears a yellow cape, White, and Blue) each take a shape and scribble designs on it. Purple, perplexed and almost angry, keeps asking why no one is creating an egg, but the six friends have a great idea. They take the circle decorated with red shapes, the square adorned with orange squiggles “the color of the sun,” the triangle with yellow designs, also “the color of the sun” (a bit repetitious), a rectangle with green wavy lines, a white star, about which Purple remarks: “DID you even color it?” and a rhombus covered with blue markings and slap the shapes onto a big, light-brown egg. Then the conversation turns to hiding the large object in plain sight. The joke doesn’t really work, the shapes are not clear enough for a concept book, and though colors are delineated, it’s not a very original color book. There’s a bit of clever repartee. When Purple observe that Esteban’s green rectangle isn’t an egg, Esteban responds, “No, but MY GOSH LOOK how magnificent it is!” Still, that won’t save this lackluster book, which barely scratches the surface of Easter, whether secular or religious. The multimedia illustrations, done in the same style as the other series entries, are always fun, but perhaps it’s time to retire these anthropomorphic coloring implements. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Let these crayons go back into their box. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-62105-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Formulaic fare that will nevertheless charm devoted followers.
A few familiar friends explore gratitude.
Daywalt’s crayons have observed many holidays, from Christmas to Earth Day. On Thanksgiving, these anthropomorphic school supplies wax (pun intended) poetic about their favorite things to draw. “Blue is thankful for blueberries.” (The accompanying illustration depicts the stubby crayon leaping into a pile of the fruit.) Black, on a page topped by dark scribbles, “is thankful for night skies.” In an aside, Black adds, “Big, beautiful night skies I get to color in all by myself!” (Blue is perfectly fine with this.) Pink pipes up with “Three glorious words. Amazon. River. Dolphins”—which may spur readers to research these creatures. The tale turns a bit meta, too. Teal is thankful for family—both Blue and Green. Red, surrounded by hearts, is thankful for Neon Green Highlighter, who was accidentally dropped into the crayon box—a “dreamboat” for sure. Recognizable jokes from previous works make appearances; these callbacks will delight staunch fans, though others will find them tiring. Standard cheer and platitudes abound; the crayons are ultimately most grateful for each other.
Formulaic fare that will nevertheless charm devoted followers. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9780593690574
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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