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THE SHAPE FAMILY BABIES

Name: THE SHAPE FAMILY BABIES
Author: Kristin Haas
ISBN: 978-1-62855-211-9

by Kristin Haas ; illustrated by Shennen Bersani ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2014

An easy one to skip.

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Newlyweds Rectangle and Rhombus are surprised when their first child turns out to be triplets.

Two are the spitting images of their parents and are easily named: Rhombus Jr. and Rectangle Jr. But the third is a bit of a puzzle. What will they name this little girl, who has four right angles like her dad and four equal sides like her mom? While the parents spend pages asking their relatives for advice and rejecting their suggestions—some accurate (Polygon, Parallelogram, Quadrangle, Quadrilateral), some far-fetched (Rectombus, Rhombangle)—even the youngest readers will be screaming “SQUARE” at the thick-headed characters. Finally, Great-Aunt Octagon arrives and sees the girl’s resemblance to Great-Great-Grandpa Square. An intended audience is difficult to pin down, as the advanced vocabulary introduced skews this to a slightly older audience, who may not appreciate either the vapid storyline or the unimaginative digital pictures featuring what are largely stick figures with large, round heads atop variously shaped torsos. A “For Creative Minds” section in the backmatter gives even more advanced information, including angle measures and names, the concepts of perpendicular and parallel, the names and definitions of several quadrilaterals, and a matching activity that challenges readers to match the shape character with his or her description: “This shape is made of three angles and three lines.”

An easy one to skip. (Math picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-62855-211-9

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sylvan Dell

Review Posted Online: Jan. 28, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

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A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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HOW TO CATCH A MAMASAURUS

From the How To Catch… series

by Alice Walstead ; illustrated by Andy Elkerton ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2024

A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.

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Another creature is on the loose.

The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.