by Sebastien Braun and illustrated by Sebastien Braun ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2009
An ordinary box provides ripe opportunities for a cat and his boundless imagination. Using household objects, Meeow transforms a plain brown carton into a blazing-red fire engine. Clear, bold art supports the direct narration, providing an encouraging explanation through each appropriate page turn: “Meeow is going to cut a hole in the big red box with his scissors. Be careful, Meeow!” The subsequent scene reveals the colorful creation, and the upbeat voice energizes the spare text: “Well done, Meeow!” Braun successfully demonstrates his understanding of his audience’s thirst for fledgling independence as Meeow effectively controls his surroundings. A large font and solid, bright colors carry the fluid digital images. The adorable black feline provides sweetness and spunk. Meeow’s red scarf drapes dramatically across his neck; his wide expressive eyes and tiny pink nose animate each clean spread. Utilizing chairs and teamwork, Meeow returns with his friends for another pleasing adventure in Meeow and the Little Chairs (978-1-906250-88-1). Celebrate the wonders of imaginative play in these solid selections for the toddler set. (Picture book. 1-3)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-906250-86-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boxer Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2009
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by Aimee Reid ; illustrated by Sebastien Braun
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by Aimee Reid ; illustrated by Sebastien Braun
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by Sebastien Braun ; illustrated by Sebastien Braun
by Rose Rossner ; illustrated by AndoTwin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1, 2020
Perfect for Valentine’s Day, but the syrupy sweetness will cloy after the holiday.
Animal parents declare their love for their offspring in alphabetical order.
Each page displays an enormous capital letter, one line of verse with the keyword capitalized, and a loving nonhuman parent gazing adoringly at their baby. “A is for Always. I always love you more. / B is for Butterfly kisses. It’s you that I adore.” While not named or labelled as such, the A is also for an alligator and its hatchling and B is for a butterfly and a butterfly child (not a caterpillar—biology is not the aim of this title) interacting in some way with the said letter. For E there are an elephant and a calf; U features a unicorn and foal; and X, keyed to the last letter of the animal’s name, corresponds to a fox and three pups. The final double-page spread shows all the featured creatures and their babies as the last line declares: “Baby, I love you from A to Z!” The verse is standard fare and appropriately sentimental. The art is cartoony-cute and populated by suitably loving critters on solid backgrounds. Hearts accent each scene, but the theme of the project is never in any doubt.
Perfect for Valentine’s Day, but the syrupy sweetness will cloy after the holiday. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-2095-6
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
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by Rose Rossner ; illustrated by Morgan Huff
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by Rose Rossner ; illustrated by Aleksandra Szmidt
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by Rose Rossner & Brooke Backsen ; illustrated by AndoTwin
by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Sanja Rešček ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 5, 2016
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead.
An Easter-themed board-book parody of the traditional nursery rhyme.
Unfortunately, this effort is just as sugary and uninspired as The Itsy Bitsy Snowman, offered by the same pair in 2015. A cheerful white bunny hops through a pastel world to distribute candy and treats for Easter but spills his baskets. A hedgehog, fox, mouse, and various birds come to the bunny’s rescue, retrieving the candy, helping to devise a distribution plan, and hiding the eggs. Then magically, they all fly off in a hot air balloon as the little animals in the village emerge to find the treats. Without any apparent purpose, the type changes color to highlight some words. For very young children every word is new, so highlighting “tiny tail” or “friends” makes no sense. Although the text is meant to be sung, the words don't quite fit the rhythm of the original song. Moreover, there are not clear motions to accompany the text; without the fingerplay movements, this book has none of the satisfying verve of the traditional version.
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5621-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Juliana Motzko
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by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Alison Brown
BOOK REVIEW
by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Sanja Rešček
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