Using bouncy rhyme, Manushkin pays tribute to the virtues of the tush. Both animals and humans have them. Even the king and queen have tushies. Some are firm and some are droopy. It’s a fun word to say, but it also cushions you during a fall. It’s a place to put your underwear and something to somersault over your head. Dockray’s colorful line drawings illustrate with realism and humor all the activities of the tushy, from sledding to skating to dancing. The artist’s use of white space leaves the pages uncluttered, letting the detail shine through. As the author states, we all have tushies, but readers will also all have smiles after finishing this book. Having finished it once, however, they’re unlikely to pick it up again; as one-joke butt books go, this pales in comparison to such derriere-licious treatments as Chicken Cheeks, by Michael Ian Black and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes (2009). (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: April 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-312-36926-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2009
A cheery little girl and her dad plan a shopping trip, go to the grocery store (by bike), purchase ingredients and go home to make pizza for the whole family (a biracial one, in a nice touch). An enthusiastic running commentary narrates the activities, which all go smoothly and safely, with just a bit of mess. Birkett’s bright, line-and-color illustrations focus on the child and her contributions, evoking Aliki in line and mood. The narration, which seems to include both the child and her father’s dialogue without distinction, may confuse some readers slightly, but its rapid-fire enthusiasm is appealing. This entry in the Helping Hands series is joined by Clean It! (ISBN: 978-1-84643-283-6), Fix It! (ISBN: 978-1-84643-286-6) and Grow It! (ISBN: 978-1-84643-285-9). All have a thinner-than-usual page stock that suits them, appropriately, to toddlers. (Board book. 2-4)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-84643-284-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Child's Play
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2010
This straightforward, graphic book was published in Japan in 1978. Whether the US is ready for its unblinking look at a subject that naturally fascinates children and is basic to toilet training remains to be seen. ``An elephant makes a big poop. A mouse makes a tiny poop,'' begins Gomi, depicting animals, birds, fish, and humans in boldly stylized forms silhouetted against origami-paper colors; their feces are appropriately shaped blobs. There's a lot to know: different shapes, colors, and smells (not described), while some animals stop but ``Others do it on the move.'' A child heading for ``a special place'' introduces a nonjudgmental comparison of adults and tots on toilets and potties with a baby on a diaper. The book concludes with a seven- animal lineup viewed fore (``All living things eat, so...'') and aft (``Everyone poops''). Candid and sensible. (Picture book. 2- 5)
Pub Date: March 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-916291-45-6
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1993
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