A refreshingly creative bedtime tale—and a solid choice for those who march to their own drummers.
The creators of I’ll Love You Till the Cows Come Home (2018) offer another entry in the love-you-forever genre that’s more fantastical than sickly sweet.
Rather than farm animals, this book features jungle creatures: kayaking crocs, rhinos striking dynamic poses “on a fancy float with sparkly bow,” and chimps sneezing due to “clouds of globe-trotting fleas.” The gentler rhythms of the rhyming text and the ending partially balance the adrenaline jolt of the outlandish situations; a look at the various species bedding down or relaxing for the night returns bedtime readers to the calm and familiar. “I will love you forever and forever and more… // as the giraffes sway slowly on a swing beneath the stars, / swishing softly through the moonbeams / up to Mercury and Mars.” Litten’s mixed-media digital illustrations play up the humor; the snakes wear tiny helmets (safety first!), the baby boars’ antics will elicit chuckles from readers of any age, and many parents will envy the giraffes’ spa day. While a few word choices make a couple of the situations nonsensical (the elephants are “stuck in traffic by the rubber tree plants,” though actually they are next to the plants, waiting for the sloths to cross the road), young readers likely won’t notice.
A refreshingly creative bedtime tale—and a solid choice for those who march to their own drummers. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024
ISBN: 9780063315518
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
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