This sturdy introduction to some basic construction equipment also highlights the value of cooperation, giving it wide...
A simple introduction to the functions of some basic tools: tape measure, saw, wrench, drill, screwdriver, and hammer.
Each double-page spread is devoted to a single tool and graced by a simple declarative sentence that explains what that tool does. Though most are straightforward, such as “A wrench bolts one part to another,” the explanation for the tape measure—“A tape measure counts how much to use”—is disappointingly opaque. Exquisitely detailed illustrations depict a large, close-up image of each tool spanning the entire page spread with an inset showing someone using that tool. Unfortunately, the design has the potential to frustrate readers, as it makes those insets, which occupy most of the space on the right-hand pages, appear to be liftable flaps, though they are not. Nonetheless, the realistic, watercolor-and–pen-and-ink images are appealing, and they feature people of various ages, genders, and skin tones all at work at building something, which the final page spread reveals to be a magnificent treehouse. Fair warning: caregivers sharing this title should be prepared to handle the inevitable clamoring for tools—and treehouses—that will follow.
This sturdy introduction to some basic construction equipment also highlights the value of cooperation, giving it wide appeal. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-56846-271-4
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Creative Editions/Creative Company
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
The slightly didactic message of tolerance and inclusiveness is made palatable by the gardening analogy, and this book will...
This attractive picture book for the very young from accomplished illustrator and debut author Gillingham explores a thoughtful analogy between gardening and friendship.
The parallels between growing things and making new friends are illustrated with simple instructions, matched with Gillingham’s pastel-shaded woodcut-and-collaged illustrations. Just like seeds and plants, friendships need to be sown, tended and cultivated. “A friend needs water… / warm sunshine… // and space to bloom.” It is a two-way process: “To grow a friend, talk / and listen”; “Good friends stand by each other in rain / or shine.” With friendships, as with flowers, things can go wrong: “Sometimes a friend bugs you.” (Bugs literally buzz around their heads on a page where the friends are wrestling for control of a potted plant.) But “[t]o grow a friend, / chase the bugs away together!” The girl finds a solution to their argument by giving the boy a ride in a wheelbarrow. A subtly diverse selection of kids and adults are portrayed enjoying one another’s company and working together to cultivate their gardens. Children, flowers, birds, trees and seasons are skillfully illustrated using multicolored patterns and shapes that will have considerable visual appeal for preschoolers.
The slightly didactic message of tolerance and inclusiveness is made palatable by the gardening analogy, and this book will encourage young friendships to bloom. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-385-37669-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2014
A gentle outing for children who are ready for stories of everyday life rather than just objects to name.
A brief rhyming board book for toddlers.
Spurr's earlier board books (In the Garden and At the Beach, both 2012; In the Woods, 2013) featured an adventuresome little boy. Her new slice-of-life story stars an equally joyful little girl who takes pleasure in flying a new kite while not venturing far off the walkway. Oliphant's expressive and light-filled watercolors clearly depict the child's emotions—eager excitement on the way to the park, delight at the kite's flight in the wind, shock when the kite breaks free, dejection, and finally relief and amazement. The rhymes work, though uneven syllable counts in some stanzas interrupt the smooth flow of the verse. The illustrations depict the child with her mass of windblown curls, brown skin, and pronounced facial features as African-American. Her guardian (presumably her mother) is also brown-skinned. It is refreshing to see an African-American family settled comfortably in a suburban setting with single-family homes and a park where the family dog does not need to be leashed.
A gentle outing for children who are ready for stories of everyday life rather than just objects to name. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-56145-854-7
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
