A cousin to Eric Hill’s Spot series, derailed by a problematic end.
Drollery for the diapered set: Distinctly out-of-place creatures lurk beneath glued-in flaps.
Aiming for toddler audiences, Shuttlewood crafts very simple screen-print–style scenes with bemused, popeyed animals. On each spread, a single large flap imperfectly conceals an interloper—from a penguin in the titular tree to an octopus in a jungle setting, an elephant floating behind a cloud and a lion on an ice floe. Along with visual clues, the author adds a rhymed text with broad hints: “In ice and snow / who does not GO, / with mane so thick / and roar so LOW?” It’s all good fun, until a final gathering in a zoo finds the errant creatures disturbingly proclaiming: “WHO’S in this zoo / and just won’t do? / NOT US! / The odd one out is… / YOU!” Although the pig looks out at readers and encourages them to “join our crew,” this may well catch readers off guard. This is followed by a closing gallery with clear labels that make the accompanying “Did you guess the names of all the animals?” not much of a challenge.
A cousin to Eric Hill’s Spot series, derailed by a problematic end. (Picture book. 1-3)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4549-1193-7
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: Feb. 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2014
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.
One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.
It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-553-51233-5
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Robin Corey/Random
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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