There is no dearth of animal guessing games on the market, but the thoughtful selections and careful crafting of this new...
Disassembled animal images make a puzzle for preschoolers.
Endlessly inventing new ways to organize Jenkins’ realistic cut-and-torn–paper wildlife illustrations, this prolific couple here offer an identification game for very young audiences. Each puzzle takes up four pages. On the first spread are five captioned parts or characteristics of an animal: “I have…two touchy antennae, nine black spots, two delicate wings, six wiggly legs, two beady eyes, and a flower for a home. Who am I?” On the next is the reveal: “I’m a ladybug!” More information about each creature—size, likely habitat, diet, the utility of some of the chosen characteristics, and an interesting fact—is presented in the extensive backmatter, also presented in first person. There are also some suggested titles for further reading, including animal encyclopedias. The stars of this intriguing puzzle collection are an American bullfrog, cottontail rabbit, ghost crab, flamingo, great horned owl, spider monkey, and the aforementioned ladybug (ladybird beetle). As always, Jenkins’ images stand out on a plain white background for ease of focus. The heavy-duty cardstock pages will stand up to repeated manipulation by small hands whose owners will want to play this game over and over.
There is no dearth of animal guessing games on the market, but the thoughtful selections and careful crafting of this new one should make it a good home choice and welcome addition to any collection. (Informational picture book. 2-7)Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-544-93539-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
A ribald and uproarious warning to those unschooled in fishy goings-on.
Sharpson offers so-fish-ticated readers a heads up about the true terror of the seas.
The title says it all. Our unseen narrator is just fine with other animals: mammals. Reptiles. Even birds. But fish? Don’t trust them! First off, the rules always seem to change with fish. Some live in fresh water; some reside in salt water. Some have gills, while others have lungs. You can never see what they’re up to, since they hang out underwater, and they’re always eating those poor, innocent crabs. Soon, the narrator introduces readers to Jeff, a vacant-eyed yellow fish—but don’t be fooled! Jeff’s “the craftiest fish of all.” All fish are, apparently, hellbent on world domination, the narrator warns. “DON’T TRUST FISH!” Finally, at the tail end, we get a sly glimpse of our unreliable narrator. Readers needn’t be ichthyologists to appreciate Sharpson’s meticulous comic timing. (“Ships always sink at sea. They never sink on land. Isn’t that strange?”) His delightful text, filled to the brim with jokes that read aloud brilliantly, pairs perfectly with Santat’s art, which shifts between extreme realism and goofy hilarity. He also fills the book with his own clever gags (such as an image of Gilligan’s Island’s S.S. Minnow going down and a bottle of sauce labeled “Surly Chik’n Srir’racha’r”).
A ribald and uproarious warning to those unschooled in fishy goings-on. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 8, 2025
ISBN: 9780593616673
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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