A delightful day in the life of a curious tot.
A toddler heads to the park with his grandfather.
Before Nevin and Grandpa Frank even leave the house, Nevin has some big decisions to make. He must select the right footwear and the perfect accessory. Next, the two have to figure out how to get to their destination. At the park, Nevin chooses where to play. Before the pair return home, Nevin picks out the perfect bouquet of flowers for Nana. Throughout, an unseen narrator poses a series of questions for Nevin to answer. “Winter boots? NO! Sandals? NO! Slippers? NO! Sneakers? YES! YES! YES!” “Nevin knows which flowers Nana likes the best. These? NO. These? NO. These? NO. THESE!” This repetitive pattern puts Nevin, and readers, in charge of the day’s activities—an empowering choice sure to please the toddler set. Messier also exposes youngsters to positional words such as under and behind and introduces the concept that appropriate clothing varies, depending on the season and weather. Featuring basic shapes and bold colors, Comte’s geometric artwork pairs well with the simple text. Nevin and Grandpa Frank’s bond is clearly a strong one; Grandpa Frank gives Nevin the space to explore while remaining a steady, calming presence. Nevin has short brown hair and beige skin and wears yellow overalls; Grandpa Frank and Nana are brown-skinned and white-haired.
A delightful day in the life of a curious tot. (Picture book. 1-4)Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2025
ISBN: 9781459836846
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2025
Little Blue Truck keeps on truckin’—but not without some backfires.
Little Blue Truck feels, well, blue when he delivers valentine after valentine but receives nary a one.
His bed overflowing with cards, Blue sets out to deliver a yellow card with purple polka dots and a shiny purple heart to Hen, one with a shiny fuchsia heart to Pig, a big, shiny, red heart-shaped card to Horse, and so on. With each delivery there is an exchange of Beeps from Blue and the appropriate animal sounds from his friends, Blue’s Beeps always set in blue and the animal’s vocalization in a color that matches the card it receives. But as Blue heads home, his deliveries complete, his headlight eyes are sad and his front bumper droops ever so slightly. Blue is therefore surprised (but readers may not be) when he pulls into his garage to be greeted by all his friends with a shiny blue valentine just for him. In this, Blue’s seventh outing, it’s not just the sturdy protagonist that seems to be wilting. Schertle’s verse, usually reliable, stumbles more than once; stanzas such as “But Valentine’s Day / didn’t seem much fun / when he didn’t get cards / from anyone” will cause hitches during read-alouds. The illustrations, done by Joseph in the style of original series collaborator Jill McElmurry, are pleasant enough, but his compositions often feel stiff and forced.
Little Blue Truck keeps on truckin’—but not without some backfires. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-358-27244-1
Page Count: 20
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Perfect for Valentine’s Day, but the syrupy sweetness will cloy after the holiday.
Animal parents declare their love for their offspring in alphabetical order.
Each page displays an enormous capital letter, one line of verse with the keyword capitalized, and a loving nonhuman parent gazing adoringly at their baby. “A is for Always. I always love you more. / B is for Butterfly kisses. It’s you that I adore.” While not named or labelled as such, the A is also for an alligator and its hatchling and B is for a butterfly and a butterfly child (not a caterpillar—biology is not the aim of this title) interacting in some way with the said letter. For E there are an elephant and a calf; U features a unicorn and foal; and X, keyed to the last letter of the animal’s name, corresponds to a fox and three pups. The final double-page spread shows all the featured creatures and their babies as the last line declares: “Baby, I love you from A to Z!” The verse is standard fare and appropriately sentimental. The art is cartoony-cute and populated by suitably loving critters on solid backgrounds. Hearts accent each scene, but the theme of the project is never in any doubt.
Perfect for Valentine’s Day, but the syrupy sweetness will cloy after the holiday. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-2095-6
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
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