“My trip, by me, Miss Mouse.” The ever-cheerful rag mouse first introduced in Miss Mouse’s Day (2000) here accompanies her youthful owner on a plane trip with Mum. Bright illustrations and a simple text keep the narrative focused on those events that are most meaningful to small children: checking in the luggage, sending belongings (including Miss Mouse!) through the X-ray machine, the excitement of takeoff, and then the inevitable boredom of a long flight—relieved by a newfound friend in the row in front. Brightly colored sequential panels illustrate the progress of the trip and are particularly effective when depicting the cramped confines of the plane’s interior, where one seat’s space intrudes into the next. Although the text is nominally in Miss Mouse’s voice, the voice of her owner, a feisty, blond preschool-age girl, occasionally breaks through, as when the little girl leaves Miss Mouse in the bathroom: “Miss Mouse? / MISS MOUSE! / MISS MOUSE! / WHERE IS MISS MOUSE?!? / Here I am!” This moment of great tension illustrates Ormerod’s near-perfect understanding of the relationship children have with their inanimate friends: the little girl moves effortlessly in and out of her toy’s identity in a manner that may be somewhat disorienting to an adult reader but makes perfect sense to a child. An entirely successful illustration of an experience common to many small children right down to the effervescent end, in which our intrepid travelers, stripped down to short sleeves and sandals, wonder, “Will she be waiting for us?” Of course: it’s “Granny!” (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: July 31, 2001
ISBN: 0-688-17870-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 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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