Though a bit of a bust in the concept department, it’s a good way to set the stage for friends like George and Martha, Frog...
A new pair of best friends for the board-book crowd is introduced in this Australian import.
Lionel (a lion, natch) and Molly (a tiny mouse) make an improbable pair of best friends. Despite the size and dietary differences, though, they like the same things: jumping in puddles, picking apples, soaking up the sun, and watching leaves fall. Each activity is conveniently paired with a color—blue, green, yellow, red, respectively. Unfortunately, the tactile elements on each spread are unrelated to the color. For example, the puddle-jumping spread shows off a shiny fuchsia umbrella, while the “big blue puddle” is not highlighted. On the next page, Lionel's fuzzy yellow belly will attract little fingers, while the green apple referred to in the text is hidden in an equally green tree. In fact, recognizing and naming the colors is incidental to this simple story of friendship. Companion Opposites works somewhat better, though again the tactile elements seem arbitrarily chosen instead of carefully used to direct the child's attention to essential concepts. For example, on the page that says “Lionel is BIG. / Molly is small,” the bees are both fuzzy and, in one case, bigger than the mouse. The sweet tales of friendship overcome these minor flaws. Lionel and Molly's friendship will be a useful model for toddlers who are just starting to move beyond parallel play to social interaction.
Though a bit of a bust in the concept department, it’s a good way to set the stage for friends like George and Martha, Frog and Toad, and Elephant and Piggie. (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: June 2, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0049-4
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
A sweet but not essential book.
A whole host of children presents a whole host of balls in this new installment in the Baby Unplugged series.
There are so many kinds of balls in this little board book. Big ball, shiny ball, game ball, plain ball, spot ball. And not all are necessarily balls. Some are round objects, like the snowball and the clay ball or the blueberry that is a “tiny ball.” Some balls are verb balls, like the “throw ball, / catch ball, / go ball, / fetch ball!” There is even a gotcha! ball that’s “not ball”—it’s a cube! And all these balls are being played with by an equally eclectic group of children. African-American, Asian, brown-skinned, and blond and brunette white children are all represented here in illustrations that are charming and clear but not particularly artful. It feels as though both author and illustrator are trying so hard to include so much that they’ve almost forgotten to have fun. It’s reminiscent of One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish but without the spark that turns an OK book into a timeless classic. Best suited for young children who are already quite verbal.
A sweet but not essential book. (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: April 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-936669-42-4
Page Count: 14
Publisher: blue manatee press
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
A terrific resource for fans of Daniel Tiger and newcomers alike.
Animated PBS character Daniel Tiger helps readers tell time.
Mr. Rogers–like (explicitly—the show is produced by the Fred Rogers Co.), Daniel Tiger welcomes his neighbors, inviting them to spend the day with him and learn to use a clock along the way. A large clock face with movable hands is accessible through a large, die-cut circle in the upper-right corner of each double-page spread. The hands click and clack as they’re moved around the clock’s face, and the sound is peculiarly satisfying. Each hand has a different noise, helping children to differentiate between the two. Daniel and his family and friends do lots of things throughout the day, including eating breakfast, going to school, running errands, eating dinner, and going to bed. The illustrations emulate the show’s rounded, calmly colored style. Fans of the television show will be entranced. Daniel’s constant engagement with readers will spawn busy interaction, and the fact that this book covers a whole day makes it an excellent read right before bed.
A terrific resource for fans of Daniel Tiger and newcomers alike. (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6934-0
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Simon Spotlight
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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