A happy addition for children fascinated by animals, this and its companion also provide assurance that mama, whatever the...
A doting mama is always close by as her Little Panda explores the world.
Rhyming couplets on every spread keep little ones turning the pages. Each page includes internal rhymes: “winking, / blinking,” “stumbling, / tumbling,” “slipping, / gripping,” etc. This rhyming vocabulary is highlighted in lavender and blue, contrasting with the otherwise neutrally colored text. These action words give the text an immediacy that’s appropriate for action-oriented toddlers. Verbs such as “spies,” “bumbles,” “plodding,” “clambers,” and “dangles,” not typical toddler repertoire, are clearly signaled by the uncluttered pictures. The mama panda and her cub look more like stuffed animals than photorealistic ones, with matching smiles and eyes. The natural setting the cub is playing in is somewhat simplified and idealized and does not reflect the species’ natural, temperate habitat, but children who live in snowy climates will recognize much of Little Panda’s play. Companion title Little Tiger follows the same format, also focusing on the caring relationship between mama and cub. The picture of the mama tiger carrying the cub in her mouth by the scruff of its neck is accurate but may elicit questions from older children.
A happy addition for children fascinated by animals, this and its companion also provide assurance that mama, whatever the species, will always be nearby. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: March 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-68152-414-6
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Amicus Ink
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead.
An Easter-themed board-book parody of the traditional nursery rhyme.
Unfortunately, this effort is just as sugary and uninspired as The Itsy Bitsy Snowman, offered by the same pair in 2015. A cheerful white bunny hops through a pastel world to distribute candy and treats for Easter but spills his baskets. A hedgehog, fox, mouse, and various birds come to the bunny’s rescue, retrieving the candy, helping to devise a distribution plan, and hiding the eggs. Then magically, they all fly off in a hot air balloon as the little animals in the village emerge to find the treats. Without any apparent purpose, the type changes color to highlight some words. For very young children every word is new, so highlighting “tiny tail” or “friends” makes no sense. Although the text is meant to be sung, the words don't quite fit the rhythm of the original song. Moreover, there are not clear motions to accompany the text; without the fingerplay movements, this book has none of the satisfying verve of the traditional version.
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5621-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.
This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.
Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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