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A LITTLE KITTY

The titular little kitty frolics gently in a similarly diminutive backyard, observing the flora and fauna, napping and stretching before cuddling up to its little girl for a “great big hug.” Feder’s rhyming text and Schwartz’s delicate line-and-watercolor illustrations, done in a palette of pastel hues, are right on target for older babies and toddlers who are beginning to explore their own worlds, and the small trim emphasizes the coziness of the whole experience. Both it and its companion, A Little Puppy (ISBN: 978-0-7636-2651-8), make a developmental misstep with spreads that oppose their protagonists in different scenes and in vignettes: Children of the age of the target audience will not understand that those two (or three) kitties are in fact the same kitty drawn multiple times. (9-24 mos.)

Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2009

ISBN: 978-0-7636-2650-1

Page Count: 14

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2009

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EAT

The chic home-furnishings juggernaut continues its forays into children’s books (Count, 2009, etc.). Their trademark clean, sophisticated lines and hip, muted palette adapt well to this introductory food-introduction book. Corn (on the cob), apple, orange, grapes, watermelon, strawberry, pretzel, carrots and peas all appear in appropriate, if not bold, coloration, embossed in a shiny, smooth material that, when appropriate, is embossed again to highlight salient features such as kernels of corn, watermelon seeds and pretzel salt. Go (ISBN: 978-1-60905-000-9) gives the same treatment to modes of transportation (including a blimp!) and such attendant accessories as traffic lights and directional signs. They may be a little soulless, but they will coordinate with your bath linens. (Board book. 6 mos.-1)

Pub Date: March 1, 2010

ISBN: 978-1-60905-001-6

Page Count: 12

Publisher: Blue Apple

Review Posted Online: June 3, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2010

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DUCK IS DIRTY

Duck Is Dirty ($4.95; August 26, 1996; 16 pp.; 0-374-31885-9): This book recounts the modest tribulations of Duck during a potentially pleasant stroll. It starts raining, he gets his feet muddy, is buffeted by winds, papered by leaves, and takes a header into the muck. A dip in the pond and Duck is good as new. Kitamura coaxes an appealing story from this 19-word trifle; one, moreover, that will ring familiar with the intended audience. The misleadingly simple artwork is graphically sophisticated, with Duck coming across as a winsome geek. Companion volumes are Squirrel Is Hungry (0-374-37171-7), Cat Is Sleepy (31223-0), and Dog Is Thirsty (31806-9). (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Aug. 26, 1996

ISBN: 0-374-31885-9

Page Count: 16

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1996

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