With all the potty titles out there—many with clearer presentations of the concepts or stronger storylines and...
This tall, sturdy volume of potty basics is another entry in the British Bright Start, Right Start series (First Numbers, 2014, etc.).
The text here reads like a beginner’s nonfiction title, introducing items such as diapers, underwear, toilets and training pants without much of a storyline to anchor the concepts. To begin, readers are introduced to Baby Bear: “This is Baby Bear wearing a diaper. / Baby Bear pees and poops in the diaper.” A note in small print suggests that parents replace the words “pee” and “poop” with whatever terms their family prefers. Readers then see Baby Bear wear training pants and underwear, use the potty successfully and unsuccessfully, and wash up afterward. Mommy Bear is there to help wipe Baby Bear’s bottom and flush the toilet. Unfortunately, the text doesn’t always flow smoothly at the sentence level, perhaps a result of the assiduous avoidance of gendered pronouns, and the connections between events are sometimes unclear. Further contributing to this disjointed effect are the mixed-media illustrations, which feature photographs of dressed-up teddy bears set against cartoon backgrounds, making for a busy, sometimes-dizzying blend of reality and fiction.
With all the potty titles out there—many with clearer presentations of the concepts or stronger storylines and characters—this is one to skip. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-910184-14-1
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Scribblers/Sterling
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
Simple words and big concepts will make this a godsend to parents at their wit's end.
This book seeks to use the power of persuasion to vanquish that most formidable of opponents: toddlers.
In this entry in the Big Kid Power series, a little black girl makes no bones about the fact that pacifiers (or “binkies”) are strictly baby territory. When she was little she needed one, but that was then. Whether she’s tired, sad, or hungry, there are other ways of being comforted: hugs and polite requests, for instance. After she gives her binky to a baby and bids it a very clear goodbye, the book ends with a triumphant, “I’M A BIG KID!” Using a striking color combination of orange, brown, and black, van Lieshout keeps her pages bold and bright, complementing the simple vocabulary. Such declarations as, “Do I still have a binky? // NO, BIG KIDS DON’T NEED A BINKY. / NOPE!” leave scant wiggle room for argument. In her author’s note at the end, van Lieshout says that after speaking to many parents about how they helped their kids bid their pacifiers adieu, “many of them had in common…a ritual of some sort.” The ritual here seems to be giving the pacifier away, though it may be missed by many readers. Companion title I Use the Potty uses a similar approach, with a proud, white boy as its guide.
Simple words and big concepts will make this a godsend to parents at their wit's end. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 8, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4521-3536-6
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Playing with your food is allowed (and encouraged!) here.
An interactive concept book relating to food, colors, and shapes for the preschool set.
When children open the book they will find four small books arranged as a square. The two on the left open to the left, the two on the right open to the right. When all four books are open it looks like a place setting, with a plate full of food. The books have illustrations of food with different shapes: circles (slices of kiwi, a bowl of guacamole) and triangles (a pizza slice, a watermelon wedge); different colors: red (kidney beans, red miso soup, tomatoes), yellow (corn bread, a taco, pineapple), green (peas, lettuce, edamame); and food types: fruits, vegetables, sushi, pizza, pasta. The book suggests some plate arrangements children can make: “Can you make a plate of only triangles or circles?” “Can you make a plate of only vegetables or fruits?” or “Can you make a plate of your favorite foods?” But the possibilities are many, and readers can come up with their own combinations—including matching the plate edges or the accompanying flatware. Adults can also use the book as a springboard for a playful conversation on food and nutrition.
Playing with your food is allowed (and encouraged!) here. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3907-1
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
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