A lesson in the joys of books and the impermanence of things.
Tactile gimmicks invite handling that this generally sweet book may not withstand.
The thick covers of this interactive board book are quite indestructible, and the pages are sturdy as well, but the many peekaboo flaps—three flaps per double-page scenario—practically beg little hands to tear them from the book. Caregivers, therefore, may want to supervise very young readers whose enthusiasm may outpace their fine-motor skills. Still, there is plenty here to engage and entertain young children. Holes and cutaway patterns encourage children to trace shapes within the pictures. Swatches of fur, spongy rubber, and colorful, metallic fabrics offer several textures to explore. Friendly animals populate five different settings—playroom, park, reading room, beach, and party—featuring many familiar items and new vocabulary words as well. Then there are those flaps. Every baby’s favorite game, peekaboo, becomes a motif as questions asked or implied are answered with a simple flip of a flap. Who’s on stage? Rip away—that is, fold back—the curtain flap. It’s Elephant! Who’s in the box? Tear off—er, lift—the lid to find Bunny Rabbit. What’s squeaking? Yank off—pardon, fold over—the hat-shaped flap. Mouse was underneath it! Kids young enough to damage this book may not recognize the damage. Older children, though, could end up tearful if their favorite peekaboo scene is ruined. Nevertheless, the book demands to be handled.
A lesson in the joys of books and the impermanence of things. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68010-533-9
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
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
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.
This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.
Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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