A harbor full of happy holidays.
All kinds of boats light up the holiday boat parade at the harbor.
“From starboard to port, the lighted boats shine. / The judges are ready. The boats get in line.” The parade begins with one sailboat decorated to look like a lighthouse and covered with fairy lights. It’s followed by two gondoliers singing songs of Christmases long ago. Then three tugboats gussied up to look like a train chug by the spectators. Surfboards lit up like Christmas trees, sugar plum “ferries,” and “gingerbread” houseboats follow in their wake. But when eight paddling pirates shout “Christmas ahoy!” with no sign of Santa and the reindeer, the crowd starts to fear there will be no main event. Not to worry; the nine reindeer just needed a break (a yacht pulls into the harbor, with Dasher, Dancer, and the rest of the crew relaxing on deck). And who’s pulling Santa’s barge? Ten flying fish, of course. Then fireworks light up the sky as all the boaters wish each other happy holidays. Dealey’s unconventional (for most) holiday parade of boats will delight young nautical fans as they count one to 10 in rhyme, and Stark’s watercolor-style illustrations seem to shimmer and shine like strings of Christmas lights. The group watching the parade features a wide range of skin tones. At the close, a two-page spread with information about the 14 types of watercraft shown adds an educational touch. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A harbor full of happy holidays. (glossary of boats) (Picture book. 2-8)Pub Date: July 15, 2023
ISBN: 9781534111783
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 23, 2023
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own...
The sturdy Little Blue Truck is back for his third adventure, this time delivering Christmas trees to his band of animal pals.
The truck is decked out for the season with a Christmas wreath that suggests a nose between headlights acting as eyeballs. Little Blue loads up with trees at Toad’s Trees, where five trees are marked with numbered tags. These five trees are counted and arithmetically manipulated in various ways throughout the rhyming story as they are dropped off one by one to Little Blue’s friends. The final tree is reserved for the truck’s own use at his garage home, where he is welcomed back by the tree salestoad in a neatly circular fashion. The last tree is already decorated, and Little Blue gets a surprise along with readers, as tiny lights embedded in the illustrations sparkle for a few seconds when the last page is turned. Though it’s a gimmick, it’s a pleasant surprise, and it fits with the retro atmosphere of the snowy country scenes. The short, rhyming text is accented with colored highlights, red for the animal sounds and bright green for the numerical words in the Christmas-tree countdown.
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler’s eyes. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-544-32041-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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