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COLORS!

From the Look & Learn series

These busy arrangements require an older audience and a different format.

Though bright and bold, this exploration of color demonstrates a dreary understanding of tots' abilities.

Clearly recognizable photographs, several to a spread, present both objects regularly associated with specific colors (yellow school bus, red ladybug) and those that occur in many hues (crayon, flower). Each color is introduced in a clear spread that features several labeled objects, while the following spread asks the audience to find items of that color in a crowded scene full of like choices. “This is candy for a special after-dinner treat. Can you find everything orange?” The scattering of orange-peel candies and an array of gumdrops and jelly beans in eye-poppingly bright shades makes it difficult to distinguish among the treats. Each of these spreads also presents a factoid in an inset circle that lacks any context for the toddling set. “GUESS WHAT? / It takes 7 to 21 days to make a jellybean.” Companion title Same and Different requires a similarly advanced skill set, asking listeners to "spot the difference."

These busy arrangements require an older audience and a different format. (Board book. 2-3)

Pub Date: June 12, 2012

ISBN: 978-1-4263-0929-8

Page Count: 24

Publisher: National Geographic

Review Posted Online: June 12, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012

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BALL

From the Baby Unplugged series

A sweet but not essential book.

A whole host of children presents a whole host of balls in this new installment in the Baby Unplugged series.

There are so many kinds of balls in this little board book. Big ball, shiny ball, game ball, plain ball, spot ball. And not all are necessarily balls. Some are round objects, like the snowball and the clay ball or the blueberry that is a “tiny ball.” Some balls are verb balls, like the “throw ball, / catch ball, / go ball, / fetch ball!” There is even a gotcha! ball that’s “not ball”—it’s a cube! And all these balls are being played with by an equally eclectic group of children. African-American, Asian, brown-skinned, and blond and brunette white children are all represented here in illustrations that are charming and clear but not particularly artful. It feels as though both author and illustrator are trying so hard to include so much that they’ve almost forgotten to have fun. It’s reminiscent of One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish but without the spark that turns an OK book into a timeless classic. Best suited for young children who are already quite verbal.

A sweet but not essential book. (Board book. 2-3)

Pub Date: April 1, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-936669-42-4

Page Count: 14

Publisher: blue manatee press

Review Posted Online: June 21, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016

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WHAT TIME IS IT, DANIEL TIGER?

From the Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood series

A terrific resource for fans of Daniel Tiger and newcomers alike.

Animated PBS character Daniel Tiger helps readers tell time.

Mr. Rogers–like (explicitly—the show is produced by the Fred Rogers Co.), Daniel Tiger welcomes his neighbors, inviting them to spend the day with him and learn to use a clock along the way. A large clock face with movable hands is accessible through a large, die-cut circle in the upper-right corner of each double-page spread. The hands click and clack as they’re moved around the clock’s face, and the sound is peculiarly satisfying. Each hand has a different noise, helping children to differentiate between the two. Daniel and his family and friends do lots of things throughout the day, including eating breakfast, going to school, running errands, eating dinner, and going to bed. The illustrations emulate the show’s rounded, calmly colored style. Fans of the television show will be entranced. Daniel’s constant engagement with readers will spawn busy interaction, and the fact that this book covers a whole day makes it an excellent read right before bed.

A terrific resource for fans of Daniel Tiger and newcomers alike. (Board book. 2-3)

Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-4814-6934-0

Page Count: 14

Publisher: Simon Spotlight

Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017

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