Although images and sentiments are appealing, treacly, nonsensical text causes this book to fall short of the mark.
Successive animals tell their little ones how much they are loved.
Soft-edged and baby-friendly illustrations depict nine pairs of animals—a parent and a young one—in a lightly anthropomorphized style. In the first double-page spread, the day begins and a bear holds a cub high up in the air. It will be this same pair that will close the book in the last spread as night falls. In between readers will find pairs of dogs, birds, seals, elephants, rabbits, lions, foxes, and turtles. Accompanying each spread, rhyming text describes the action taking place: “Hopping, skipping rabbits / play a game of chase, / then nestle down together / in a happy, golden place.” A second stanza goes on to say how much the baby is loved, though in most cases rhyming seems to be more important than making sense; “As bright as the meadow, where dandelions sway, / I love you more and more each day.” Or “As soft as the grass, spreading near and far, / I love you just the way you are.” For no apparent reason, though perhaps to go with the touchy-feely rhyme, each spread has a touch-and-feel element as well.
Although images and sentiments are appealing, treacly, nonsensical text causes this book to fall short of the mark. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-58925-241-7
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...
A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.
Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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