WHERE MY FEET GO

Name: WHERE MY FEET GO
Author: Birgitta Sif
ISBN: 978-0-553-51164-2

by Birgitta Sif ; illustrated by Birgitta Sif ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 16, 2016

Pleasingly reflective of familiar childhood inner and outer wanderings, this picture book encourages little readers’ feet...

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A little panda's feet, snug in yellow moon boots, turn everyday walks into extraordinary adventures.

They tread through the "thick jungle" (a vegetable garden), up "tall mountains" (a green knoll), over a "creaking bridge"(a log), and even into "the ocean" (a rain puddle). And that's just the morning! In the afternoon, those feet sit "very, very quietly" while the panda feeds "little dinosaurs" (bobbing birds). The ingenious incongruity between these imagined assertions and the realities keenly illustrated on these pages will delight children, who are intimately privy to the all-consuming power of pretend play. These uncluttered illustrations, in wintry purples, blues, greens, and browns, stretch across the length of two pages, suggesting an elasticized, unhurried narrative spun out of a young mind. Pencil drawings, made fuzzy and haloed by digital coloring, appear both specific and gauzy—an ambivalence that works in a story about unspooling imagination. The young narrator reads as a bit ambiguous, its long, string-bean body looking little like a roly-poly panda. Though the panda is gendered male in flap copy, the text is entirely in the first person, so the protagonist can be interpreted flexibly. The day described, however, with its swing rides, sandbox castles, bath-time splashes, and bedtime books, greatly resembles many children’s quotidian pleasures.

Pleasingly reflective of familiar childhood inner and outer wanderings, this picture book encourages little readers’ feet and minds to run on and on. (Picture book. 2-6)

Pub Date: Feb. 16, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-553-51164-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
WITCH IN THE COUNTRY
by Kallie George ; illustrated by Birgitta Sif

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CRIMSON TWILL
by Kallie George ; illustrated by Birgitta Sif

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HUGO
by Atinuke ; illustrated by Birgitta Sif

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S HALLOWEEN

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2016

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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ANIMAL SHAPES

by Christopher Silas Neal ; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 27, 2018

Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.

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You think you know shapes? Animals? Blend them together, and you might see them both a little differently!

What a mischievous twist on a concept book! With wordplay and a few groan-inducing puns, Neal creates connections among animals and shapes that are both unexpected and so seemingly obvious that readers might wonder why they didn’t see them all along. Of course, a “lazy turtle” meeting an oval would create the side-splitting combo of a “SLOW-VAL.” A dramatic page turn transforms a deeply saturated, clean-lined green oval by superimposing a head and turtle shell atop, with watery blue ripples completing the illusion. Minimal backgrounds and sketchy, impressionistic detailing keep the focus right on the zany animals. Beginning with simple shapes, the geometric forms become more complicated as the book advances, taking readers from a “soaring bird” that meets a triangle to become a “FLY-ANGLE” to a “sleepy lion” nonagon “YAWN-AGON.” Its companion text, Animal Colors, delves into color theory, this time creating entirely hybrid animals, such as the “GREEN WHION” with maned head and whale’s tail made from a “blue whale and a yellow lion.” It’s a compelling way to visualize color mixing, and like Animal Shapes, it’s got verve. Who doesn’t want to shout out that a yellow kangaroo/green moose blend is a “CHARTREUSE KANGAMOOSE”?

Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable. (Board book. 2-4)