A sweet introduction in spite of its incongruities.
This playfully illustrated board book introduces some of the customs and rituals of the centerpiece of the Passover holiday: the Seder.
Passover will soon be here, and a three-generation family (and their dog) prepare for the traditional holiday. With dustpan and broom they clean every room. Grandfather and grandchild wet their hands and scoop up the meal that will make the matzo balls for the soup. Grandmother and grandchild prepare the Seder plate. Parsley, egg, bitter herbs, bone, greens, and charoset are all there. As the Seder begins, the children recite the traditional four questions they have learned. They dip, drink, and eat, and lean back in their seats. Now it is time to find the afikomen. The book ends back at the table: “Our seder is great, / We all celebrate!” Following the same format used in Shabbat is Coming! (2014) and Hanukkah is Coming! (2015), Newman’s rhyming couplets are followed on each page with the titular “Passover is coming!” Unfortunately though, that only works for the first half of the book; for the second half, “Passover is here!” would have been more appropriate. Also, there is a disconnect between text and illustration on the four-questions page, as the text has the children learning, but the illustration has them at the Seder reciting the questions.
A sweet introduction in spite of its incongruities. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4677-5242-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
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An unabashed love letter from mother.
A sweet celebration of the bond between a mother and her Pookie.
The eighth installment in this always charming series eschews the episodic drama and silliness of earlier outing such as Spooky Pookie (2015) in favor of a mom’s-eye-view celebration of her child and the time they spend together. There is, of course, nothing wrong with drama and silliness. But while the lack of conflict and plot in favor of unapologetic sentiment makes this book a quick read, that doesn’t make it any less endearing. The rhymed verse captures a mother’s wonder as she observes the many facets of her child’s personality: “Ah, Pookie. My little one. My funny one. My child. // Sometimes you are quiet. Sometimes you are wild.” On the simple joys of shared moments, she notes, “I love to go walking with you by my side. / I love when we sing when we go for a ride. // And I love just to watch as you think and you play. / The way that you are is a wonderful way.” Paired with author/illustrator Boynton’s irresistible renderings of a porcine mommy and her playful, snuggly little piglet, the result is impossible to fault. Whether quietly reading, running in a tiger suit, singing with mom in the car, ears flapping in the breeze, or enjoying the safety of mom’s embrace, Pookie’s appeal continues unabated.
An unabashed love letter from mother. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Dec. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3723-4
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Dec. 4, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
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