Jaunty out of the gate—such fun.
The Bear is only the first one over this mountain.
As in the rhyme of old, on a bright, sunny day, a little brown “Bear [goes] over the mountain,” where all he sees is the other side of the landmass…but he then gets stuck up a tree. “The Hare hop[s] over the mountain” next, “to see where Bear could be.” And on the other side of the mountain, Hare helps Bear out of the tree. The Fox follows, “danc[ing] over the mountain” in search of Hare. When he gets to the other side, he prepares a tea party for three. “The Wolf [runs] over the mountain” looking for Fox, and they all have a swim together. “The Owl swoop[s] over the mountain” hoping to find Wolf, and when Owl gets there, “they ha[ve] a Jamboree” under the now-starry sky. The illustrations shift from the scenes of outdoor play to the interior of a pine-tree–wallpapered home, where a curly-headed White child “cre[eps] over the mountain” (up the stairs) “to see where they could be.” Upon the page turn, the child finds all five animals (stuffies all) ready for a snuggle in bed. With this outing, Cabrera has once again made a traditional kid’s song into a storytime pleaser. It won’t take even one full read-through for kids to be singing along, and when they see themselves in the sweet twist at the close, they’ll likely giggle with glee. Her acrylic paintings are, as usual, lush and lovely.
Jaunty out of the gate—such fun. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4653-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2020
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
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