A tired tot is bundled off to bed with a bevy of smooches from family members in this comforting countdown tale. In joy-filled free verse, Katz (The Colors of Us, 1999, etc.) introduces readers to the numbers ten through one, beginning with ten kisses for ten little toes and concluding with a final salute on one snoozy noggin. To further reinforce the number introduced, tiny pink hearts in the appropriate amount accompany each verse, along with the numeral, highlighted in boldly colored, oversized text. Katz focuses on the plethora of precious attributes that make babies, even cranky and tired ones, so lovable. By highlighting everything from button noses to delicate ears, she provides young readers with an opportunity to learn and identify various parts of their own anatomies. The full-bleed illustrations are presented in a kaleidoscopic swirl of vibrant color combinations. Every page is awash in color, with even the text-only pages steeped in a rainbow selection of colors, from soft periwinkle to sunshine yellow. The combination of colored pencils, gouache, and collage work adds dimension to the illustrations, while intriguing perspectives further the visual impact. The inviting illustrations, portraying cozy images of familial affection, deftly convey the emotional tenor of the tale. As the kissing fest proceeds, with even the family pets contributing a few, the baby’s expression evolves from wailing to merry, eventually settling down to peaceful slumber. A winsome tale perfect for cuddle time with a beloved little one. (Picture book. 1-5)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83470-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2000
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own...
The sturdy Little Blue Truck is back for his third adventure, this time delivering Christmas trees to his band of animal pals.
The truck is decked out for the season with a Christmas wreath that suggests a nose between headlights acting as eyeballs. Little Blue loads up with trees at Toad’s Trees, where five trees are marked with numbered tags. These five trees are counted and arithmetically manipulated in various ways throughout the rhyming story as they are dropped off one by one to Little Blue’s friends. The final tree is reserved for the truck’s own use at his garage home, where he is welcomed back by the tree salestoad in a neatly circular fashion. The last tree is already decorated, and Little Blue gets a surprise along with readers, as tiny lights embedded in the illustrations sparkle for a few seconds when the last page is turned. Though it’s a gimmick, it’s a pleasant surprise, and it fits with the retro atmosphere of the snowy country scenes. The short, rhyming text is accented with colored highlights, red for the animal sounds and bright green for the numerical words in the Christmas-tree countdown.
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler’s eyes. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-544-32041-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A joyful celebration.
Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.
The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together, frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.
A joyful celebration. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
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