Best for sharing one-on-one with little ones.
Lois, a winsome kitty, looks for Bob, her unlikely bird companion, in this clever lift-the-flap board book.
The black-and-white cat with expressive, large yellow eyes looks “behind the guitar,” “on the table,” “in the cupboard,” “by the coats,” and “on the windowsill” before finally finding Bob “on the armchair.” Behind each object, printed on a shaped gatefold, is a different animal—just not the bird hinted at on the cover until the last. When the animals are revealed, they are identified by a proper name rather than by the generic name of the animal; this is followed by a comment or question. The narrator announces that it’s “Daphne!” (a mouse) inside the cupboard and then asks, “Do you think she’s supposed to be eating that cheese?” Young children who are just learning to recognize common animals may initially be confused by a bunny named “Clifford” or a fish named “Eugene,” opening up an opportunity for adult-child conversation that’s reinforced by the follow-up question. A companion volume, Lois Looks for Bob at the Park, follows the same format. The sturdy flaps are large, interesting shapes that are also easily manipulated. The illustrations are clear and uncluttered, tuxedo cat Lois standing out against muted, pastel backgrounds.
Best for sharing one-on-one with little ones. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Dec. 24, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0254-0
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: Dec. 4, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
Wonderful, indeed
A love song to baby with delightful illustrations to boot.
Sweet but not saccharine and singsong but not forced, Martin’s text is one that will invite rereadings as it affirms parental wishes for children while admirably keeping child readers at its heart. The lines that read “This is the first time / There’s ever been you, / So I wonder what wonderful things / You will do” capture the essence of the picture book and are accompanied by a diverse group of babies and toddlers clad in downright adorable outfits. Other spreads include older kids, too, and pictures expand on the open text to visually interpret the myriad possibilities and hopes for the depicted children. For example, a spread reading “Will you learn how to fly / To find the best view?” shows a bespectacled, school-aged girl on a swing soaring through an empty white background. This is just one spread in which Martin’s fearless embrace of the white of the page serves her well. Throughout the book, she maintains a keen balance of layout choices, and surprising details—zebras on the wallpaper behind a father cradling his child, a rock-’n’-roll band of mice paralleling the children’s own band called “The Missing Teeth”—add visual interest and gentle humor. An ideal title for the baby-shower gift bag and for any nursery bookshelf or lap-sit storytime.
Wonderful, indeed . (Picture book. 1-4)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-385-37671-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: June 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original...
A sweetened, condensed version of the best-selling picture book, The Kissing Hand.
As in the original, Chester Raccoon is nervous about attending Owl’s night school (raccoons are nocturnal). His mom kisses him on the paw and reminds him, “With a Kissing Hand… / We’ll never be apart.” The text boils the story down to its key elements, causing this version to feel rushed. Gone is the list of fun things Chester will get to do at school. Fans of the original may be disappointed that this board edition uses a different illustrator. Gibson’s work is equally sentimental, but her renderings are stiff and flat in comparison to the watercolors of Harper and Leak. Very young readers will probably not understand that Owl’s tree, filled with opossums, a squirrel, a chipmunk and others, is supposed to be a school.
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original shouldn’t look to this version as replacement for their page-worn copies. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-933718-77-4
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Tanglewood Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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