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I'M A POLICE OFFICER

From the Tinyville Town series

A worthy introduction to the concept of police officers.

Little readers learn about the police force.

Every morning the black, female police officer wakes up and serves the citizens of Tinyville Town. The police officer walks her beat, rescues a cats from a tree (“No task is too big”), helps a young child cross the street safely (“or too small”), and even solves a mystery. The mystery, involving an escaped monkey from the local zoo, has clues peppered throughout the board book that eagle-eyed little ones will delight in discovering. One, for instance, is the banana peel the officer prevents the young child from stepping on. The illustrations employ an effective blue, yellow, and black color scheme that reflects the officer’s uniform. The book’s pace, covering a day in the life of a police officer, lends itself well to a bedtime read.

A worthy introduction to the concept of police officers. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-4197-2323-0

Page Count: 22

Publisher: Abrams Appleseed

Review Posted Online: Aug. 6, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018

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ROSA LOVES CARS

From the All About Rosa series

An effervescent celebration of play in the early years.

As with Spanyol’s stellar Clive books, Rosa’s favorite activities buck gender stereotypes.

The toddler races toy cars, jumps monster trucks, and builds a car out of a cardboard box with her buddies in what looks like a day care or preschool setting. Spanyol’s childlike lines, soft palette, and chunky figures are as cheerful as ever. The text is mostly straightforward, simple narration peppered with exclamations from Rosa and her chums: “Rosa and Marcel play in the sandpit. ‘Dig-a-dig, dig-a-dig, scoop!’ sings Rosa.” Rosa has brown skin and black, curly hair, and she wears bright yellow eyeglasses. Her friends include Samira, who uses a wheelchair and is likely of South Asian descent; Mustafa, who appears black; Biba, who has light-brown skin and straight, black hair; and Sarah and Marcel, who both present white. Three other equally charming titles accompany this offering. In Rosa and Her Dinosaurs, the heroine dons a purple dress and plays with a collection of toy dinosaurs. Rosa and her buds (all wearing helmets) roll through the pages of Rosa Rides Her Scooter. And in Rosa Plays Ball, Rosa pushes a cart with various kinds of balls to toss about with her friends outside.

An effervescent celebration of play in the early years. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-78628-125-8

Page Count: 14

Publisher: Child's Play

Review Posted Online: Dec. 4, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019

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TICKLE TIME!

Sure to prompt little fingers into joyful action.

A favorite baby-and-toddler activity receives an upbeat celebration that will get those fingers going. Watch out!

The gang of frazzled felines that populate this outing are truly the cat's meow. Based on Boynton's song of the same title, the text is reproduced in a colored, patterned font that amps the energy right up. A forlorn little kitty, paws clasped in front of his body, appears anxious (though slightly intrigued) when a trio of toms encourages him to join in the fun. “Gitchy-gitchy / Goo Gotta / Ready, Set, Go!” It doesn't take long before the cautious cat jumps in on this chorus line with dramatic leaps and fluttering fingers. A little birdie acts as a square-dance caller, enunciating each beat (“Goo bop. / Gitchy-goo bop”). The shaggy, large-nosed felines are tremendously expressive in their synchronized movements and maintain a rollicking pace. “We can tickle high. / We can tickle low. / We can tickle QUICKQUICKQUICK / as fast as we can go!” (Here, the page is filled with iterations of "gitchy gitchy gitchy" in different colors.) At the end, the gang sprawls on the floor, exhausted, after a truly monumental tickle-fest.

Sure to prompt little fingers into joyful action. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: March 16, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-7611-6883-6

Page Count: 22

Publisher: Workman

Review Posted Online: June 12, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012

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