When a wee bunny misplaces her beloved blanket, the entire family bands together for a search-and-rescue mission. Little Flora can't sleep a wink without her special blanket. With offers of replacements from her siblings summarily refused by the disconsolate bunny, everyone embarks upon a house- and yard-wide search. As the regular spots fail to turn up the elusive bedding, they begin to look about in nonsensical locations, such as inside the refrigerator and in the greenhouse. Alas, the rabbit clan wanders over house, hill, and dale in vain. When the fruitless search is ultimately called off, Flora's blanket is discovered in the likeliest (but overlooked) place—tucked into mommy and daddy's bed. Gliori's (DK Book of Nursery Rhymes, p. 182, etc.) simple but comical tale has just the right blend of reality and silliness to tickle tiny funnybones. Preschoolers can empathize with Flora's predicament while giggling over the bunny family's increasingly outlandish search. Full-page, full-bleed watercolor illustrations depict an irresistibly cute clan of cuddly rabbits (including one who can't keep his nose out of a book). Little ones will enjoy the notion that the rabbits' house looks remarkably like their own, only with special bunny touches—a carrot-filled vase centerpiece, a rabbit-shaped sand box, a carrot handle on the fridge door, and more. Perfect for any tot who has misplaced a favored comfort object and the scores of beleaguered parents who have been sent out on countless wild-goose chases. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: April 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-531-30305-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2001
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
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Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.
You think you know shapes? Animals? Blend them together, and you might see them both a little differently!
What a mischievous twist on a concept book! With wordplay and a few groan-inducing puns, Neal creates connections among animals and shapes that are both unexpected and so seemingly obvious that readers might wonder why they didn’t see them all along. Of course, a “lazy turtle” meeting an oval would create the side-splitting combo of a “SLOW-VAL.” A dramatic page turn transforms a deeply saturated, clean-lined green oval by superimposing a head and turtle shell atop, with watery blue ripples completing the illusion. Minimal backgrounds and sketchy, impressionistic detailing keep the focus right on the zany animals. Beginning with simple shapes, the geometric forms become more complicated as the book advances, taking readers from a “soaring bird” that meets a triangle to become a “FLY-ANGLE” to a “sleepy lion” nonagon “YAWN-AGON.” Its companion text, Animal Colors, delves into color theory, this time creating entirely hybrid animals, such as the “GREEN WHION” with maned head and whale’s tail made from a “blue whale and a yellow lion.” It’s a compelling way to visualize color mixing, and like Animal Shapes, it’s got verve. Who doesn’t want to shout out that a yellow kangaroo/green moose blend is a “CHARTREUSE KANGAMOOSE”?
Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0534-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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