Wall’s cheery, flat, brightly colored illustrations are neatly suited to this naïve rendering of the age-old dilemma of...
Human Sophie and goose Goose are best friends; they do everything together, but needless to say, in some respects they are not compatible.
Sophie can’t fly, and she’s not fond of goose food, but in other ways they are best buds and share many a cup of tea. Sophie is worried that Goose gets lonely when she is away at school, so she tries to think of a solution. Then she has a brainstorm: maybe she can find a friend for Goose at the zoo! Unsurprisingly, however, most of the animals are not ideal friends: the giraffe can’t fly, and the crocodile tries to take a friendly bite out of the innocent bird. Flamingos are just plain boring. The pair is despondent, until they hear a familiar chorus of honks: lots of other geese, just like Sophie’s friend! Goose flies off happily, leaving Sophie a little bit lonely. However Goose is a faithful friend and returns with newfound friends to check in with Sophie. Towheaded Caucasian Sophie is clad in a red dress and, like many a simply drawn picture-book protagonist before her, has no discernible mouth; her stark-white face and blonde locks mirror Goose’s white feathers and yellow beak and feet, establishing a firm connection between the friends. This simple tale, with resonances of many other unlikely animal-child friendship stories, is told in an engaging manner.
Wall’s cheery, flat, brightly colored illustrations are neatly suited to this naïve rendering of the age-old dilemma of friendship: how to enjoy others’ company in spite of different tastes and habits. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-232441-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2015
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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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
BOOK REVIEW
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