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QUACK!

Repeated quacks and a fair bit of waddling are guaranteed to quack up toddlers.

If it quacks like a duck…it’s just fun.

Digitally designed caricatures of 10 animals populate the 20 pages of this simple adventure that also functions as a counting book. Oversized 9-inch-square pages provide room for an ever growing cast of animal characters who don’t understand duck language. On the inside cover, the duck meets “ONE very BIG [and purple] elephant” and then two giraffes, three horses, four pigs, five monkeys, six flamingos, seven grasshoppers, eight spiders, and nine bluebirds. To each it says, “Quack!” and when it’s not understood, “the duck just kept waddling….” The text is somewhat longer than in most board books, but the repeated sentence structure keeps it accessible. Number words and names of critters are in a larger font, which helps young children focus on this key information. Each animal busily does what that animal is best known for (eating leaves, grazing, rolling in mud, etc.). As a clever nod to a traditional counting song, the monkeys are jumping on the bed. On the next spread, the duck sees the flamingos standing on one leg and “wondered what the other leg was for.” This joke will amuse adults but goes right past young children. However, they will want to pause on each spread to count the animals and “Quack!” with the duck. When at last the duck sees 10 other ducks, the volley of reply quacks invites readers to join in.

Repeated quacks and a fair bit of waddling are guaranteed to quack up toddlers. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: March 13, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-486713-85-1

Page Count: 20

Publisher: Flowerpot Press

Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S HALLOWEEN

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

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

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ANIMAL SHAPES

Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.

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)

Pub Date: March 27, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-4998-0534-5

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Little Bee Books

Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018

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