A delightful book that reminds us all to try something new, even if it’s “yacky!” (Picture book. 3-6)
It’s dinnertime for little dinosaurs, but trying new foods is never easy.
Caregivers will recognize the scenario instantly: sitting at the table with their own little dinosaurs, trying to coax a bite out of them. This dino—a human child clad in a triceratops-styled cowl—has every excuse in the book not to eat the single floret of broccoli on their plate, from “too lumpy” to “too scratchy,” which may be baffling to caregivers but will make perfect sense to toddlers. However, when their mom suggests that the foodstuff in question is not the child’s nemesis, broccoli, but “trees,” our little dinosaur finds their brave side and learns to try something new, dramatized in a funny, four-image sequence: “gulp! / MMF! / yacky! / ROARRR!” Realistically, the broccoli is not an immediate hit, but their mother reassures them that just trying is brave, turning the once-finicky eater into a “ ‘try’ ceratops.” Simple and expressive, fine-lined cartoon illustrations with a dino-green color scheme help bring the story to life in a way that will elicit chuckles. More importantly though, the book helps promote healthy ways to talk about food with kids by gently encouraging them to be brave. The first in a senses-themed series, its message is tailored to children on the spectrum and with sensory disorders but has broad applicability to neurotypical audiences as well. Both child and mom have paper-white skin, straight, black hair, and pink cheeks.
A delightful book that reminds us all to try something new, even if it’s “yacky!” (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 18, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-525-55344-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 11, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
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