Shared one story at a time, this book offers toddlers a first experience with “chapters.” (Picture book. 2-4)
In six separate sections, different baby African and/or Asian mammals spend an active day in the wild before nestling down to sleep.
The first section, “Tiger Babies Romp,” shows two “tiger babies” who take a short excursion when their mother temporarily leaves their den. Here and throughout, the text is written with short sentences and repetition: “Tiger noses sniff. / Tiger ears twitch, twitch. / Tiger tails swish, swish, swish. / What’s moving?” After seeing a snake, the tiger babies dash to a tree, then splash into a lake, then encounter a crocodile, then “rumble” back to their den. After they “eat, eat, eat” with Mama, the baby tigers are told, “Good night, baby tigers— / you’ve had a busy day.” The length of the book, as well as the amount of text on many pages, appears to be geared toward preschoolers, but the formulaic, repetitive nature of the text—and its labeling of every animal as a baby—suits it best to toddlers. Each separate story concentrates on a specific aspect of the featured animal—for example, the elephant’s trunk and the poor eyesight of rhinos. Pronouns clearly delineate both giraffe and gorilla babies as female—a commendable effort. The animals are mostly realistic though with anthropomorphized smiles, and they are placed against soft backgrounds—the overall look is generally benign, although the black eyes with white highlights have an occasionally creepy look, particularly on the tigers. Brief “animal facts” round out the book.
Shared one story at a time, this book offers toddlers a first experience with “chapters.” (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9883-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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