Pure fun; readers and preschoolers will applaud both the silliness and practicalities presented.
Animal friends on the farm are ready to enjoy the pleasures of each new season—but Cow displays confusion over what is expected.
In a double-page spread before the title page, an excited Rooster crows, “SPRING IS ALMOST HERE!” Spring is announced immediately after the title page, and readers see Duck watering her newly emerged sprouts, Sheep flying a kite, and Goat enjoying the spring showers. Cow, however, appears dressed in mittens, a heavy scarf, and hat. “Oh Cow. Not now,” says Rooster. Summer arrives, and with it swimming, beach play, and ice cream cones, but Cow is ready with a sled, snow boots, and heavy sweater. And again Rooster tells her, “Oh Cow. Not now.” Amusing illustrations in bold colors reflect each season’s attributes while the succinct and simple rhyming text details the animals’ activities. The fall scenario shows orange and brown leaves falling with Horse raking, Chick munching on an apple, and Sheep carving a pumpkin: “Horse is ready. / Builds a pile. / Chick is ready. / Snacks awhile. // Sheep is ready. / Adds a smile.” But a parka-clad Cow is set on skiing. Rooster: “Oh, Cow. Just…wow.” When, in winter, Cow shows up in a bathing suit and flippers, her exasperated friends finally tell her, “We need to talk.” Readers might wonder whether Cow is just innocently clueless or expressing her individualism. Kids will nevertheless be eager to repeat the refrain, the predictable structure of the page turns and pacing expertly cuing them. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 61.9% of actual size.)
Pure fun; readers and preschoolers will applaud both the silliness and practicalities presented. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4629-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree.
A Christmas edition of the beloved alphabet book.
The story starts off nearly identically to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989), written by John Archambault and the late Bill Martin Jr, with the letters A, B, and C deciding to meet in the branches of a tree. This time, they’re attempting to scale a Christmas tree, not a coconut tree, and the letters are strung together like garland. A, B, and C are joined by the other letters, and of course they all “slip, slop, topple, plop!” right down the tree. At the bottom, they discover an assortment of gifts, all in a variety of shapes. As a team, the letters and presents organize themselves to get back up on the Christmas tree and get a star to the top. Holiday iterations of favorite tales often fall flat, but this take succeeds. The gifts are an easy way to reinforce another preschool concept—shapes—and the text uses just enough of the original to be familiar. The rhyming works, sticking to the cadence of the source material. The illustrations pay homage to the late Lois Ehlert’s, featuring the same bold block letters, though they lack some of the whimsy and personality of the original. Otherwise, everything is similarly brightly colored and simply drawn. Those familiar with the classic will be drawn to this one, but newcomers can enjoy it on its own.
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665954761
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
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