Read it aloud a few times, and younger voices will soon join in.
Cartoonish animals, repetitive phrases and fast-paced suspense make for a story that toddlers and their slightly older siblings can enjoy together.
Five different woodland animals are interrupted from such activities as “enjoying a nibble” and “storing food” by the same loud noise: “Da-Dump! Da-Dump! Da-Dump! The ground shook and shuddered, trees trembled, rocks rattled….It was a terrible noise!” Each animal dashes away from home, and on each successive page, readers see the growing procession of runaways, until all five—Hare, Beaver, Skunk, Raccoon and Fox—are backed against a wall of rocks. The huge, noise-making beast—Buffalo—arrives on the scene, and a delicious, surprising ending comes with a lesson that young children are just starting to learn: “It was scary at first!” the animals shout. “But fun afterwards!” The artwork clearly supports the text, with wide-eyed, active animals comically portrayed against simple, colorful backgrounds. Such touches as Skunk’s penchant for “frolicking in a flower field to freshen herself up” keep the tone light. Even when the five friends are backed into a corner, with the shadow of the “HUGE, shaggy creature” upon them, the humor throughout both text and illustrations keeps young readers reassured that all will be well.
Read it aloud a few times, and younger voices will soon join in. (foldout splash scene [not seen]) (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: May 20, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-909428-32-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Digital Leaf
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2014
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
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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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