Parents and caregivers may find these life lessons useful, and children will vicariously enjoy Cat’s bad behavior.
Cat learns the rules of sharing.
Part of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Babies series, this book presents in a gentle rhyming text a quintet of young animals sharing a variety of objects and experiences: “Mouse shares with Bear. Dog shares the rug. Duck shares a chair. Bear shares a hug.” Cat refuses to share a seesaw when the other animals want to play but learns that this is the wrong item to hoard. While Cat is an endearingly ornery character, many of the things shared feel like they were selected merely to fit the rhyme scheme. The more successful companion title, Everyone Says Please (Except Cat), tackles Cat’s refusal to say the magic word. The animal characters from the first book act as series repertory players and model saying please to get what they want. It is only when Cat sees Mouse say the magic word to an adult cat and copies this action that the kitten finally gets the coveted cheese. Toddlers will relate to Cat’s epic temper tantrum that occurs midway through the story. Both titles feature bright paintings of toddler-shaped critters in suburban-esque scenes. “A Note for Parents” shares tips culled from experts on the featured topic and appears at the end of each title.
Parents and caregivers may find these life lessons useful, and children will vicariously enjoy Cat’s bad behavior. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Nov. 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-62354-276-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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