Appealing nonfiction for the littlest learners.
A toddler’s introduction to the beach becomes a vehicle to present some basic concepts and vocabulary.
This small, square volume homes in on the elements most crucial to a happy day at the shore. A couple of sentences of text with one or two boldfaced terms appear at the bottom of each left-hand page. The items in bold are depicted above the text against a plain white background and then placed into some context in the fuller illustrations occupying the right-hand pages. For example, illustrations of a shovel and pail appear above the text: “This is my shovel and this is my pail. I’m using my shovel to fill my pail with sand. Look! My pail is almost full.” The right-hand page depicts a smiling pink-skinned toddler playing happily with the pail and shovel in a patch of sand. Other items introduced are the sun, the toddler’s swimming trunks and sun hat, shells, water wings, water and ice cream cones. The simple illustrations—featuring bold outlines, vivid colors, and the same cheerful tot—are a good complement to the brief, descriptive text, and together they make a helpful primer on the basics of beachgoing.
Appealing nonfiction for the littlest learners. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: April 15, 2014
ISBN: 978-1605371665
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.
This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.
Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An invitation for readers to learn through observation.
Llama Llama and Mama spot different shapes at the farmers market.
Dewdney’s iconic llama stars in this board book, a part of the Learning With Llama Llama series. The story showcases five shapes: rectangles, squares, triangles, circles, and stars. Rather than simply showing the shapes and naming them, illustrator Morrow embeds them inside scenes from the farmers market. Each page turn uncovers a different shape. Signage and a shopping bag pop as rectangles, while umbrellas, a slice of watermelon, and the peaks of the tents form triangles. Shapes that appeared on previous pages are visible even as the story progresses, and the final page helps readers revisit and recall shapes they’ve already found. There are plenty of engaging details to keep readers looking, including other animal shoppers, kite-flying, and sudden, surprising rain. The text is concise, and each spread features a simple question inviting participation. This title is more captivating than other shape concept books, especially those that show block-colored shapes without context. Llama Llama’s popularity will make this a hit with fans, and readers looking for substance will find it. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An invitation for readers to learn through observation. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-46509-7
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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