A lesson on being open to new foods that little ones will eat right up.
It’s dinnertime for those sassy Chickies (Bedtime for Chickies, 2014; Pottytime for Chickies, 2014).
Sheep, Donkey and Pig try to get the three little Chickies to eat a nutritious dinner, but the feisty yellow fellows have their own ideas. For instance, when presented with a noodle dish by Sheep, they respond: “We can’t eat this. It’s too drippy. / We want something chocolate chippy.” When Sheep convinces them to give it a try—“Just one pint-sized, pewee peck? / You might like it. You should check”—they change their tune and slurp it up. The same sequence occurs when Donkey feeds them Mexican food and Pig offers them veggies. Finally, it’s time for treats, and after protesting that they have no more room for goodies, the Chickies again acquiesce: “Well, maybe just one tiny taste. / We’d hate for it to go to waste!” The Chickies are bright yellow circles with simple yet incredibly expressive features, while their big-eyed animal caretakers are endearingly cartoonlike. Wobbly black outlines lend an air of instability and happy chaos to the effort.
A lesson on being open to new foods that little ones will eat right up. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: May 27, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-06-227470-0
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HarperFestival
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.
One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.
It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-553-51233-5
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Robin Corey/Random
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In this board book designed for the littlest llama lovers, adorable-as-ever Llama Llama (Llama Llama Red Pajama, 2005, etc.) gets ready for some Halloween fun.
Dewdney’s characteristic spare, apt rhymes convey a lot of action in effortlessly readable fashion. A charming and simple introduction to Halloween and its associated activities, this title finds little Llama Llama choosing and carving a pumpkin, pouring candy into bowls, picking out a costume and, finally, trick-or-treating. The costume Llama Llama decides to don—pointy teeth and a black mask and cape—is enough to frighten and fool his friends but not readers, who will immediately recognize and smile at the silly little mini-Dracula. With Dewdney’s characters as expressive as ever, young readers will be drawn right into the holiday fun, eagerly anticipating which costume Llama Llama will choose and excited to see him scare his friends and score some candy at trick-or-treat. In the equally appealing companion title, Llama Llama Jingle Bells,the little fellow gets ready for Christmas, baking and decorating some cookies in anticipation of Santa’s arrival. This simple holiday title will win Llama Llama new fans, and old friends will want to add it and its companion to their collections. (Board book. 1-2)
Pub Date: Aug. 19, 2014
ISBN: 978-0451469786
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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