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BRUSH YOUR HAIR, MEDUSA!

Name: BRUSH YOUR HAIR, MEDUSA!
Author: Joan Holub
ISBN: 978-1-4197-0953-1

From the Mini Myths series

by Joan Holub ; illustrated by Leslie Patricelli ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 24, 2015

While the mini-myth concept falls flat, this is a lighthearted look at the conflict between grown-ups and strong-willed tots...

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This selection in the Mini Myths series introduces a little girl named Medusa, whose hair—while it may not be made of poisonous snakes—does seem to have a life of its own.

The initial double-page spread pictures a spunky little girl with a giant mass of yellow tendrils sticking out in all directions and a defiant look on her face; she is in a serious standoff with a hairbrush. Dad tells Medusa that she must have her hair brushed before Grandma comes over, but Medusa is too busy. Before you know it, Grandma has arrived, and her eyes bug out hilariously when she spots Medusa’s mane. She drags the little girl off to a hair salon, and Medusa returns home with a perfectly coiffed head of tame little curls—and a lollipop. Now it’s time to talk about brushing her teeth! While the story is a cute one with a familiar toddler scenario and charming illustrations, the tie to the Medusa story is too tenuous to be meaningful, and the description of the myth provided on the final page, though simplified, will still be much too complex for the board-book crowd.

While the mini-myth concept falls flat, this is a lighthearted look at the conflict between grown-ups and strong-willed tots with their own agendas. (Board book. 2-5)

Pub Date: March 24, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-4197-0953-1

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Abrams Appleseed

Review Posted Online: March 31, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HEALTH & DAILY LIVING

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by Joan Holub ; illustrated by Daniel Roode

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PEPPA'S GIANT PUMPKIN

From the Peppa Pig series

by Samantha Lizzio ; illustrated by eOne ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 30, 2019

This TV rerun in board-book form has nothing new to offer.

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Peppa hopes to join her classmates in a Halloween pumpkin competition in this adaptation of a story from the popular British television program Peppa Pig.

With the help of Granny and Grandpa Pig, Peppa turns her giant pumpkin, which is the size of a compact car, into a jack-o’-lantern. The trio is flummoxed when it comes time to transport the pumpkin to the competition, so they call on Miss Rabbit and her helicopter to airlift the pumpkin to the festivities as Peppa and her grandparents ride inside. Peppa arrives just in time for the contest and wins the prize for best flying pumpkin. The scenes look as if they are pulled directly from the television show, right down to the rectangular framing of some of the scenes. While the story is literally nothing new, the text is serviceable, describing the action in two to three sentences per page. The pumpkin-shaped book and orange foil cover will likely attract youngsters, whether they are Peppa fans or not.

This TV rerun in board-book form has nothing new to offer. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: July 30, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-338-33922-2

Page Count: 10

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019

Categories:

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

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YOUR BABY'S FIRST WORD WILL BE DADA

by Jimmy Fallon ; illustrated by Miguel Ordóñez ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 9, 2015

Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.

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A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.

A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.

Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)