The best part of this one is also the most inconsistent: the rich and challenging vocabulary.
This tactile board book presents animals, glimpses of their habitats, and associated vocabulary.
In Alexander’s eye-catching book, a series of familiar animals is presented, each in a colorful two-page layout. Each animal is a separate die-cut figure glued into a larger, shaped cutout presented on recto; on verso are its name—formed from die-cut letters that will nestle in the cutout opposite—along with a set of descriptive words, the only text. Nouns are set in boldface, while adjectives are plain text, and participles are italicized. Some flaws niggle. One adjective—“slimy”—sneaks into the frog’s participles. The nouns are mostly visible in the accompanying illustration, but not the cats’ claws. Most spreads also include the word for the various animals’ offspring, with the exception of the bees (“young bee” is presented as a smiling, small foraging adult rather than “larva”—definitely cuter but inaccurate). These oversights are a letdown. The adjectives and participles, however, are wonderfully descriptive, and many could be new for little ones, like “gamboling” cows, “velvety” moles, and “wallowing” pigs. The illustrations themselves are very spare, a startling contrast to the highly specific and detailed text. The simultaneously publishing Food follows the same format, but the illustrations are more unexpected and engaging, like finding the raised letters “y-u-m” in a bowl of alphabet noodles.
The best part of this one is also the most inconsistent: the rich and challenging vocabulary. (Board book. 6 mos-2)Pub Date: April 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4521-7392-4
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
Simple, encouraging text, charming photographs, straightforward, unpretentious diversity, and adorable animals—what’s not to...
This entry-level early reader/picture book pairs children with farm animals.
Using a simple, effective template—a full-page photograph on the recto page and a bordered spot photo above the text on the verso—Rotner delivers an amiable picture book that presents racially and ethnically diverse kids interacting (mostly in the cuddling department) with the adult and baby animals typically found on a farm. Chickens, chicks, cats, kittens, dogs, puppies, pigs, piglets, cows, and calves are all represented. While a couple of double-page spreads show the larger adult animals—pigs and cows—without a child, most of the rest portray a delighted child hugging a compliant critter. The text, simple and repetitive, changes only the name for the animal depicted in the photo on that spread: “I like the cat”; “I like the piglet.” In this way, reading comprehension for new readers is supported in an enjoyable, appealing way, since the photo of the animal reinforces the new word. It’s hard to go wrong combining cute kids with adorable animals, but special kudos must be given for the very natural way Rotner has included diversity—it’s especially gratifying to see diversity normalized and validated early, at the same time that reading comprehension is taught.
Simple, encouraging text, charming photographs, straightforward, unpretentious diversity, and adorable animals—what’s not to like? (Picture book/early reader. 2-6)Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3833-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2017
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere.
This book is buzzing with trivia.
Follow a swarm of bees as they leave a beekeeper’s apiary in search of a new home. As the scout bees traverse the fields, readers are provided with a potpourri of facts and statements about bees. The information is scattered—much like the scout bees—and as a result, both the nominal plot and informational content are tissue-thin. There are some interesting facts throughout the book, but many pieces of trivia are too, well trivial, to prove useful. For example, as the bees travel, readers learn that “onion flowers are round and fluffy” and “fennel is a plant that is used in cooking.” Other facts are oversimplified and as a result are not accurate. For example, monofloral honey is defined as “made by bees who visit just one kind of flower” with no acknowledgment of the fact that bees may range widely, and swarm activity is described as a springtime event, when it can also occur in summer and early fall. The information in the book, such as species identification and measurement units, is directed toward British readers. The flat, thin-lined artwork does little to enhance the story, but an “I spy” game challenging readers to find a specific bee throughout is amusing.
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere. (Informational picture book. 8-10)Pub Date: May 18, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-500-65265-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
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