Young readers will enjoy looking at the book and spinning the face, either independently or with their adult readers.
A transportation book for the youngest ones.
Transportation enthusiasts will enjoy this energetic and playful board book. In bright colors and simple geometric shapes, five vehicles take center stage. A circular die-cut holds a swiveling baby face. Readers can spin the face to a happy or sad expression. “Eee-ooo-eee-ooo!” goes the fire truck as it races down the street. “Uh-oh! There’s a crack in the sidewalk!” The cement mixer can fix that problem. “Woo-wee!” Time to load the recycling truck. “Phew, it’s hot!” Never mind, here’s the ice cream truck. “Clank-clank!” Engine won’t start? The tow truck is here! Babies and their adult readers will find lots of details to look at and discuss in addition to the primary vehicles presented, such as a little ambulance that appears on every spread. Also, babies can decide whether the situation calls for a happy or sad face and spin the face accordingly. A companion volume, Friends, follows a similar format. Here, babies are introduced to relatively abstract concepts such as making friends, sharing, cleaning up, and helping others. The spinning face helps to make these feelings concrete and understandable for children just beginning to grasp these concepts. The text in both books is not scintillating, but it does the job.
Young readers will enjoy looking at the book and spinning the face, either independently or with their adult readers. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-4187-9
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
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
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Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.
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)Pub Date: March 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0534-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
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