In a world where toy aisles and sometimes book racks are explicitly and implicitly gendered, Clive’s love of baby dolls,...
Meet Clive, a white toddler who loves to play with his toys, his accessories, and his friends.
In this title, one of a series, Clive takes tender loving care of two baby dolls, one with brown skin and the other white. He gives them a ride in a stroller, feeds them, dresses them, shows them how to use a potty, puts them to bed in a cardboard box, and finally cuddles with them in his own bed. The companion titles also demonstrate Clive’s freedom from traditional gender norms. In Clive and His Hats, the tyke plays with all sorts of headgear, including a flowery, purple hat accompanied by a lavender feather boa. He employs all sorts of luggage, such as a book bag at the library, a nurse’s bag, a sports bag full of balls, and a sleeping bag at bedtime in Clive and His Bags. And finally, in Clive and His Art, the boy explores a variety of media including painting, construction, collage, and bead threading. In each of the books, Clive plays with a diverse group of friends, including Mina, Asif, Jeffrey (who look to be of Asian, Middle Eastern, and African descent respectively), and Moshi, an endearing black cat. Spanyol’s delightful cartoons, which read as a mix of pen, ink, and cut-paper collage in muted colors and have a childlike, two-dimensional look, are clear, accessible, and joyous. While the series has a decidedly British feel, from the hero’s name to the omnipresence of paper crowns, there is nothing here to confuse North American toddlers.
In a world where toy aisles and sometimes book racks are explicitly and implicitly gendered, Clive’s love of baby dolls, frilly hats, glitter, and bags of all sorts is a breath of fresh air. (Board book. 18 mos.-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-84643-882-0
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Child's Play
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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