Though he earns a stint in the doghouse, this little dog is one endearing pet.
A pup nudges the door open and digs up his owner's yard, then brings the mess of the outdoors (and his cherished bone) into the house. Active, two-word phrases, feature the word “up” in each statement to convey the dog's adventures and the consequences: "dig up / drag up / muddy up…" A few expressions may stretch the audience; “clip up” portrays the downtrodden dog on a leash (the muddy evidence of his outdoor romp streaked through his fur). The next sequence depicts the owner's actions when he cleans the mess. “Now wipe up / gather up / wash up / hang up / fill up” precedes the dog’s "perk[ing] up." Fanny depicts the loving (though exasperated) owner as, mostly, disembodied hands, ensuring that the perspective remains the dog's. The dog’s expressive eyes and slight shifts in his physical appearance light up his scenes. Companion Up Cat briefly reintroduces the dog; he attempts to make friends with a haughty feline, though she “puff[s] up” at the offer. This little pooch’s up-and-down antics charm. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)
Pub Date: May 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-55451-389-5
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: May 29, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012
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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An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.
This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.
Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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