Sweet, attractive, and engaging.
Animals, fruit, and friendship come together in this lift-the-flap board book.
A cat is hungry and wants to eat some fruit. That should be no problem “I have…1 pear, 1 pineapple, 1 strawberry and 1 banana,” it thinks, imagining each fruit above the printed word. But someone has eaten the pear. The illustration shows a pear with a big bite out of it, the half with the bite printed on a flap that meshes neatly with the intact half on the page beneath. When little ones lift the flap, the culprit is revealed, its body formed in part by the same shape of the fruit. In the case of the pear, it’s a green seal whose rounded head and back look quite pear-shaped. As the book progresses, the cat finds that, one by one, the other pieces of fruit have also been consumed. And, each time, lifting the flap reveals the culprit. In the end, the cat despairingly declares, “My friends ate all my fruit! I’m so hungry!” But no! The other animals reveal their surprise: They’ve made a fruit salad. “For me? Thank you! Please, have some!” The Spanish version, publishing simultaneously, ¿Quién se comió mi fruta? has a bonus; little ones can count back from four as the fruit is consumed. Also publishing simultaneously are Who Ate My Cakes? and ¿Quién se comió mi pastel? which follow the same format. This time, the cat’s cakes are being consumed by a different set of animal friends, and the surprise is a birthday cake. Colorful, simple and stylized graphics against plain backgrounds depict the edibles and animals in question.
Sweet, attractive, and engaging. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2020
ISBN: 978-84-18133-10-7
Page Count: 16
Publisher: NubeOcho
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
In this board book designed for the littlest llama lovers, adorable-as-ever Llama Llama (Llama Llama Red Pajama, 2005, etc.) gets ready for some Halloween fun.
Dewdney’s characteristic spare, apt rhymes convey a lot of action in effortlessly readable fashion. A charming and simple introduction to Halloween and its associated activities, this title finds little Llama Llama choosing and carving a pumpkin, pouring candy into bowls, picking out a costume and, finally, trick-or-treating. The costume Llama Llama decides to don—pointy teeth and a black mask and cape—is enough to frighten and fool his friends but not readers, who will immediately recognize and smile at the silly little mini-Dracula. With Dewdney’s characters as expressive as ever, young readers will be drawn right into the holiday fun, eagerly anticipating which costume Llama Llama will choose and excited to see him scare his friends and score some candy at trick-or-treat. In the equally appealing companion title, Llama Llama Jingle Bells,the little fellow gets ready for Christmas, baking and decorating some cookies in anticipation of Santa’s arrival. This simple holiday title will win Llama Llama new fans, and old friends will want to add it and its companion to their collections. (Board book. 1-2)
Pub Date: Aug. 19, 2014
ISBN: 978-0451469786
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015
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BOOK REVIEW
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead.
An Easter-themed board-book parody of the traditional nursery rhyme.
Unfortunately, this effort is just as sugary and uninspired as The Itsy Bitsy Snowman, offered by the same pair in 2015. A cheerful white bunny hops through a pastel world to distribute candy and treats for Easter but spills his baskets. A hedgehog, fox, mouse, and various birds come to the bunny’s rescue, retrieving the candy, helping to devise a distribution plan, and hiding the eggs. Then magically, they all fly off in a hot air balloon as the little animals in the village emerge to find the treats. Without any apparent purpose, the type changes color to highlight some words. For very young children every word is new, so highlighting “tiny tail” or “friends” makes no sense. Although the text is meant to be sung, the words don't quite fit the rhythm of the original song. Moreover, there are not clear motions to accompany the text; without the fingerplay movements, this book has none of the satisfying verve of the traditional version.
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5621-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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