A solid and sweet look at the traditional and expanding roles of a father.
A rhyming ode to all the things daddies do with their children.
Bathing and fishing, making yummy snacks, building forts, snapping photos, giving a boost: Daddies do it all in this rollicking look at fatherhood. “Who takes you on outings / and simply won’t care / if you’ve picked your own outfit / or have messy hair? / DADDIES DO. / THAT’S WHO!” The lion dad wrestles with his cub, proclaiming how much stronger his tot is. The peacock father lets his child help on a project. The octopus child is cheered up by dad when they’re sick. And more than one parent (of any gender) may smile knowingly at the kangaroo dad who falls asleep reading to his joey. Evans’ rhyme and rhythm are spot-on, and the refrain ensures readers’ participation during read-alouds. Ferro’s brightly colored cartoon illustrations were created using gouache, colored pencil, and ink. The dad-child relationships ooze sweetness, and an owl unobtrusively placed within many spreads cues the “Who…” questions as well as the final “Guess who?” There is nary a mother in sight, and few pages show siblings. These dads prepare food and bathe and soothe their children, as nurturing as can be.
A solid and sweet look at the traditional and expanding roles of a father. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4549-2171-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
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
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.
A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.
A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
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BOOK REVIEW
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