by Jan Ormerod & illustrated by Lindsey Gardiner ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 2003
An exuberant take on the children’s song with a cast of adorable animals and an even more adorable little girl adding to the fun. With cheeks like roses, a heart on her T-shirt, and red-and-white striped knee socks, the blonde heroine sings a verse, clapping her hands. But a small brown dog says the thing to do when you’re happy is wag your tail. An elephant notes, however, that his tail “is rather insignificant” and so prefers a version involving flapping one’s ears. A crocodile wants to snap his teeth “snip, clip!,” a gorilla is definitely into thumping his chest, and so it goes through toucans, hyenas, parrots, and kangaroos. It all ends with a rousing chorus of “When you’re happy and you know it, do your thing” with girl and all the animals performing en masse. And such animals: the bright blue gorilla has rosy cheeks, as does the pale blue elephant with a striped trunk. The crocodile’s teeth seem to be made of newsprint and its body is patchwork; the little brown dog's a cuddly, winsome fellow. A great read-aloud/sing-along, with one caveat: the verses don’t wrap to completion as in the original song, because the next animal interrupts the flow to chime in. So the compulsive reader or listener will have to add the last line to tie up the page—possibly making it even more entertaining. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2003
ISBN: 1-932065-07-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Star Bright
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2003
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by Hope Vestergaard ; illustrated by David Slonim ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 27, 2013
While there are many rhyming truck books out there, this stands out for being a collection of poems.
Rhyming poems introduce children to anthropomorphized trucks of all sorts, as well as the jobs that they do.
Adorable multiethnic children are the drivers of these 16 trucks—from construction equipment to city trucks, rescue vehicles and a semi—easily standing in for readers, a point made very clear on the final spread. Varying rhyme schemes and poem lengths help keep readers’ attention. For the most part, the rhymes and rhythms work, as in this, from “Cement Mixer”: “No time to wait; / he can’t sit still. / He has to beg your pardon. / For if he dawdles on the way, / his slushy load will harden.” Slonim’s trucks each sport an expressive pair of eyes, but the anthropomorphism stops there, at least in the pictures—Vestergaard sometimes takes it too far, as in “Bulldozer”: “He’s not a bully, either, / although he’s big and tough. / He waits his turn, plays well with friends, / and pushes just enough.” A few trucks’ jobs get short shrift, to mixed effect: “Skid-Steer Loader” focuses on how this truck moves without the typical steering wheel, but “Semi” runs with a royalty analogy and fails to truly impart any knowledge. The acrylic-and-charcoal artwork, set against white backgrounds, keeps the focus on the trucks and the jobs they are doing.
While there are many rhyming truck books out there, this stands out for being a collection of poems. (Picture book/poetry. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5078-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 28, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013
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by Susie Jaramillo ; illustrated by Susie Jaramillo ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 8, 2022
A testament to the universality of love.
An expanded explanation of love in both English and Spanish.
Several animal personalities pose the question, “What is love?” and in a series of lift-the-flap responses present various emotional scenarios. Little Elephant asks Spider, “Is it the joy of having you around?” Spider asks, “Is it the way you lift me when I’m down?” Each page corresponds to a flap that reveals one of a multitude of feelings love can evoke in either an English or Spanish rhyme, which are not direct translations of each other. An interspersed refrain notes, “Amor for the Spanish, / and love en inglés. / Love in any language / always means the same.” A palette of pastels and purple and pink hues dominate as hearts abound on each page, surrounding the characters, who are adorable though on the overly sweet side. The characters are from the bilingual preschool series Canticos, though it will work even among those without knowledge of the show. Children more fluent in Spanish will be better able to appreciate this, and those familiar with the show will recognize the signature characters, including “Los Pollitos” (Little Chickies). (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A testament to the universality of love. (Board book. 3-6)Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-945635-72-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
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