A continuously clever concept that allows kids to alleviate their fears even as they relieve their bladders.
A book that’s unafraid to put the fun in flushing.
Anyone familiar with the physical logistics on display in How to Pee: Potty Training for Boys (2015) may be inclined to scratch their heads at a feminine sequel. Yet while the plumbing may vary, the idea of making potty time a creative endeavor is gender-inclusive. As with its predecessor, “Dr. Todd” opens the book with an explanation about why he turned potty time into a game with his kids. What follows is a series of different methods, easily adoptable by girls everywhere. There’s “Little Star Style,” which involves contemplating the wonders of the universe from a backyard potty; “Royal Ball Style,” complete with toilet paper; and “Dance-Party Style” (glow sticks optional). Those adults under the impression that peeing outside is strictly boy territory will be edified by the little protagonist’s attempts to “water the flowers” (as it were) as part of the “Fresh-Air Style.” With a list of tips at the end, the book is as much a training manual for anxious parents as it is a series of role-playing ideas for kids. Once again, Chung is called upon to give this pint-sized urinator a certain level of joie de pisser. This he does with aplomb, depicting a biracial child with an Asian-American mom and white dad.
A continuously clever concept that allows kids to alleviate their fears even as they relieve their bladders. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62779-297-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
Simple words and big concepts will make this a godsend to parents at their wit's end.
This book seeks to use the power of persuasion to vanquish that most formidable of opponents: toddlers.
In this entry in the Big Kid Power series, a little black girl makes no bones about the fact that pacifiers (or “binkies”) are strictly baby territory. When she was little she needed one, but that was then. Whether she’s tired, sad, or hungry, there are other ways of being comforted: hugs and polite requests, for instance. After she gives her binky to a baby and bids it a very clear goodbye, the book ends with a triumphant, “I’M A BIG KID!” Using a striking color combination of orange, brown, and black, van Lieshout keeps her pages bold and bright, complementing the simple vocabulary. Such declarations as, “Do I still have a binky? // NO, BIG KIDS DON’T NEED A BINKY. / NOPE!” leave scant wiggle room for argument. In her author’s note at the end, van Lieshout says that after speaking to many parents about how they helped their kids bid their pacifiers adieu, “many of them had in common…a ritual of some sort.” The ritual here seems to be giving the pacifier away, though it may be missed by many readers. Companion title I Use the Potty uses a similar approach, with a proud, white boy as its guide.
Simple words and big concepts will make this a godsend to parents at their wit's end. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 8, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4521-3536-6
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Playing with your food is allowed (and encouraged!) here.
An interactive concept book relating to food, colors, and shapes for the preschool set.
When children open the book they will find four small books arranged as a square. The two on the left open to the left, the two on the right open to the right. When all four books are open it looks like a place setting, with a plate full of food. The books have illustrations of food with different shapes: circles (slices of kiwi, a bowl of guacamole) and triangles (a pizza slice, a watermelon wedge); different colors: red (kidney beans, red miso soup, tomatoes), yellow (corn bread, a taco, pineapple), green (peas, lettuce, edamame); and food types: fruits, vegetables, sushi, pizza, pasta. The book suggests some plate arrangements children can make: “Can you make a plate of only triangles or circles?” “Can you make a plate of only vegetables or fruits?” or “Can you make a plate of your favorite foods?” But the possibilities are many, and readers can come up with their own combinations—including matching the plate edges or the accompanying flatware. Adults can also use the book as a springboard for a playful conversation on food and nutrition.
Playing with your food is allowed (and encouraged!) here. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3907-1
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
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