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FLANNEL KISSES

Name: FLANNEL KISSES
Author: Linda Crotta Brennan
ISBN: 0-395-73681-1

by Linda Crotta Brennan & illustrated by Mari Takabayashi ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1997

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A rhyming poem for the very young contrasts the warmth of indoor meals and clothing with the snowy arena of outdoor play. From flannel sheets and cold floors to dry socks and slippery snowsuits, Brennan lines up two-word and three-word pairings in a basic rhyme scheme to form a small patchwork poem: ``Pile snowballs/Small on fat./Crown icy head/With fuzzy hat'' chronicles the building of a snowman. A single snowy day is the book's focus—the action consists of bundling and unbundling, warming up and freezing over again, from breakfast to bedtime. The tone is intentionally sweet and the watercolor pictures equally cozy, depicting braided rugs with sock monkeys strewn on the floor, and an ice-carved stove and tree-trunk table outdoors. Alternately frolicsome and homey, this is pleasant, but without the simple wonder found in Ezra Jack Keats's wintry classic, The Snowy Day (1963), as Peter drags a stick through the snow. (Picture book. 2-4)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1997

ISBN: 0-395-73681-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1997

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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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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I AM A BIG BROTHER

by Caroline Jayne Church ; illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 27, 2015

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

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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)