Next book

LITTLE BABY BUTTERCUP

Cozy, predictable, cheerful and brimming with motherly love—a dependably pleasing read-aloud for the smaller set.

Little Baby Buttercup blooms under the sunny warmth of her mother’s love, beaming as she eats (and wears) breakfast, builds with blocks, works the garden hose, hits the playground and returns home.

This read-aloud assumes mother’s singsong-y voice, which rocks with simple, solid rhymes (encouraging participation and pleasingly predictable to listeners). “Little Baby Buttercup, / how I love to scoop you up. / Scoop you up and hold you near. / Kiss your little baby ear.” She addresses her beloved blossom throughout in a joyful, one-sided conversation that narrates the everyday pleasures that spring from the care for a small child. Inset scenes, both framed and floating, and full-bleed spreads visually describe the variety of tiny experiences a single day with a toddler brings as well as a parent’s intense focus on their little one. Paintbrush and ink atop watercolor paper allow for both specificity and soft washes of color. Children might point out a dog’s bristly fur or a rose’s myriad petals, while a tree’s canopy softly glows yellow across the background.

Cozy, predictable, cheerful and brimming with motherly love—a dependably pleasing read-aloud for the smaller set. (Picture book. 2-4)

Pub Date: Jan. 29, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-399-16763-8

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books

Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2014

Next book

I AM A BIG BROTHER

A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...

A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.

Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.

A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015

Next book

PEPPA'S GIANT PUMPKIN

From the Peppa Pig series

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

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

Close Quickview