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WHAT DOES AN ANTEATER EAT?

Name: WHAT DOES AN ANTEATER EAT?
Author: Ross Collins
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0591-6

by Ross Collins ; illustrated by Ross Collins ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 9, 2019

The silliness should have little listeners asking for repeat readings.

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A peckish anteater wonders what to nosh on….

An anteater wakes up hungry, sets off to find some yums, and comes upon a sloth. “Good morning. I know this sounds odd, but do you happen to know what an anteater eats?” The lazing sloth says it’s too busy to answer, so the anteater moves on. A toucan suggests the anteater have some watermelon, but the anteater’s mouth is too small. A lumpy python with a rather nauseated look on its face confesses it doesn’t know but advises chewing food well. An alligator offers old fish (which is “delicious”)…the anteater declines. The bats are too busy hunting dinner to help, and the cheetah thinks the anteater looks yummy. When the anteater finally asks some seriously busy ants what to eat, their panicked response says everything…kind of. The ants flee, and the anteater enjoys the bananas they were carrying back to their hill. Collins’ cartoon illustrations in watercolor and charcoal are bright and engaging. Ants march along the bottoms of most double-page spreads as the anteater moves through a generic forest landscape looking to find breakfast. Listeners will giggle all the way through because they know the answer. The text is made up entirely of dialogue, the anteater’s set in boldface roman type and the other animals’ in italics.

The silliness should have little listeners asking for repeat readings. (Picture book. 2-6)

Pub Date: July 9, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-5362-0591-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Nosy Crow

Review Posted Online: April 9, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S NOTHING FASTER THAN A CHEETAH
by Tom Nicoll ; illustrated by Ross Collins

- BOOK REVIEW
WE DISAGREE ABOUT THIS TREE
by Ross Collins ; illustrated by Ross Collins

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A MOUSE IN MY HOUSE
by Ross Collins ; illustrated by Ross Collins

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S HALLOWEEN

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2016

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.

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A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.

Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: July 5, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3

Page Count: 16

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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ANIMAL SHAPES

by Christopher Silas Neal ; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 27, 2018

Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.

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You think you know shapes? Animals? Blend them together, and you might see them both a little differently!

What a mischievous twist on a concept book! With wordplay and a few groan-inducing puns, Neal creates connections among animals and shapes that are both unexpected and so seemingly obvious that readers might wonder why they didn’t see them all along. Of course, a “lazy turtle” meeting an oval would create the side-splitting combo of a “SLOW-VAL.” A dramatic page turn transforms a deeply saturated, clean-lined green oval by superimposing a head and turtle shell atop, with watery blue ripples completing the illusion. Minimal backgrounds and sketchy, impressionistic detailing keep the focus right on the zany animals. Beginning with simple shapes, the geometric forms become more complicated as the book advances, taking readers from a “soaring bird” that meets a triangle to become a “FLY-ANGLE” to a “sleepy lion” nonagon “YAWN-AGON.” Its companion text, Animal Colors, delves into color theory, this time creating entirely hybrid animals, such as the “GREEN WHION” with maned head and whale’s tail made from a “blue whale and a yellow lion.” It’s a compelling way to visualize color mixing, and like Animal Shapes, it’s got verve. Who doesn’t want to shout out that a yellow kangaroo/green moose blend is a “CHARTREUSE KANGAMOOSE”?

Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable. (Board book. 2-4)