An ordinary alpha-ramble, but children working their way into literacy might find this worth one go, at least.
Two friends try to settle on favorite letters as they romp in rhyme through the alphabet.
Alfie and Bet are, respectively, an alligator (wearing an apron) and a bear (with a hair bow) who don’t so much argue as keep dancing along from letter to letter: “ ‘Oh no,’ says Alfie, / ‘never mind that, / just think about C— / it’s for cupcake and cat.’ ” Printed on heavy stock, each open spread features one to five cutout letters that pop up to float an inch or so over backdrops that are well-populated with cartoon flora, fauna, musical instruments, and other items—only some of which are mentioned in the verses. In addition to the aforementioned cupcake and cat, for instance, accompanying the letter C are a carrot, two caterpillars, cotton-candy, cookies, crayons, a crab, and a cactus. The unlabeled extras ramp the alphabetical tally up to a sometimes-challenging guessing game. Young animal lovers may identify the two-toned creature riding the train and talking on the telephone as a tapir, but that spotted creature wearing a hat and riding a horse while sipping from a juice box could be a hyena or a jaguar, and the identity of the little lizardlike creature at D-E-F-G will be anybody’s guess (an eft, maybe?).
An ordinary alpha-ramble, but children working their way into literacy might find this worth one go, at least. (Pop-up alphabet book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-61067-647-2
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2017
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A tender bedtime tale set in a too-seldom-seen northern world.
A quiet book for putting young children to bed in a state of snowy wonder.
The magic of the north comes alive in a picture book featuring Inuit characters. In the sky at nighttime, snow falls fast. / … / In the sky at nighttime, a raven roosts atop a tall building. / … / In the sky at nighttime, a mother’s delicate song to her child arises like a gentle breeze.” With the repetition of the simple, titular refrain, the author envisions what happens in a small town at night: Young children see their breath in the cold; a hunter returns on his snowmobile; the stars dazzle in the night sky. A young mother rocks her baby to sleep with a song and puts the tot down with a trio of stuffed animals: hare, polar bear, seal. The picture book evokes a feeling of peace as the street lamps, northern lights, and moon illuminate the snow. The illustrations are noteworthy for the way they meld the old world with what it looks like to be a modern Indigenous person: A sled dog and fur-lined parkas combine easily with the frame houses, a pickup truck, power lines, and mobile-hung crib. By introducing Indigenous characters in an unremarkably familiar setting, the book reaches children who don’t always see themselves in an everyday context.
A tender bedtime tale set in a too-seldom-seen northern world. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-77227-238-3
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Inhabit Media
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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