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GARDEN

Name: GARDEN
Author: Lorena Siminovich
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2649-4

From the You Are My Baby series

by Lorena Siminovich ; illustrated by Lorena Siminovich ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 25, 2014

The clever book-in-a-book construction, appealing collage illustrations and focus on parent-baby pairs will make this one a...

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Two books in one introduce youngsters to garden critters and their babies.

An ingenious cutaway design separates the book into two distinct, connected pieces, creating a small book that sits nestled inside a larger one. On the first large page, a blue bird, perching on a branch against a soft pink background, says: “You sing a happy song in our leafy tree.” Open to the first page of the smaller book and more text— “You are my baby, little hatchling”—and an image of the baby bird appears. This pattern is repeated with colorful and happy-looking spiders in their webs, snails in the tall grass, squirrels digging in the dirt and bees buzzing about the flowers. Each striking double-page spread has a distinct design, making it easy for children to match the baby animals in the smaller book with the adults on the larger pages. Another volume in this charming series, Ocean, depicts octopus, sea horse, fish, turtle and whale pairs against marine backgrounds of blue and green.

The clever book-in-a-book construction, appealing collage illustrations and focus on parent-baby pairs will make this one a favorite for shared reading and individual exploration. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: March 25, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-4521-2649-4

Page Count: 10

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Review Posted Online: March 2, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
YOU KNOW WHAT I LOVE?
by Lorena Siminovich ; illustrated by Lorena Siminovich

- BOOK REVIEW
YOU ARE MY BABY
by Lorena Siminovich ; illustrated by Lorena Siminovich

- BOOK REVIEW
MONKEY SEE, LOOK AT ME!
by Lorena Siminovich & illustrated by Lorena Siminovich

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SMILE, POUT-POUT FISH

by Deborah Diesen ; illustrated by Dan Hanna ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 2014

An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WORRY-WORRY WHALE AND THE CLASSROOM JITTERS
by Deborah Diesen ; illustrated by Dan Hanna

- BOOK REVIEW
POUT-POUT FISH
by Deborah Diesen ; illustrated by Dan Hanna

- BOOK REVIEW
THE POUT-POUT FISH AND THE MAD, MAD DAY
by Deborah Diesen ; illustrated by Dan Hanna

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MERRY CHRISTMAS, LITTLE POOKIE

by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 18, 2018

The small size, a predictable winter adventure, and Boynton’s very toddlerlike character make this a fine stocking stuffer...

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Seven years after Little Pookie (2011) first appeared, this popular piglet is finally celebrating Christmas.

“Oh Pookie! Come look! It’s beginning to snow,” says a maternal-looking pig. But where did Pookie go? Past the Christmas tree, to put on a snowsuit of course. Pookie’s ever cheerful mama is willing to go out too. After all, “It’s a magical time to be walking with you.” When she observes, “Our noses are frozen. It’s time to go in,” Pookie protests in typical toddler style: “But I’m not c-c-c-cold!” The next three pages highlight indoor holiday preparations—making paper garlands, baking and decorating cookies. The rhyming text mirrors the spare illustrations. A spidery type that emulates handwriting makes it clear when Pookie is speaking. Then “the doorbell is ringing. / Our family and friends have arrived for the singing.” The second-to-last spread shows Pookie, mama, and six other pigs—and Boynton’s requisite chicken—singing (“Con brio”), “MER-RY CHRIST-MAS! MER-RY CHRIST-MAS! AND A HAP-PY NEW YEAR!” Conveniently, this text is placed beneath the musical notation. Finally Pookie hangs a stocking and goes off to bed without any fuss, anticipating presents on Christmas morning.

The small size, a predictable winter adventure, and Boynton’s very toddlerlike character make this a fine stocking stuffer or an ideal Christmas Eve read to share with other little piggies. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)