A bit cringey, but who doesn’t love finger puppets? (Board book. 6 mos.-2)
This heart-shaped book comes with a star-shaped finger puppet.
There exists a subgenre of children’s books so exceedingly gushy and effusive it seems clear the text was written for starry-eyed adults rather than for the children to whom they read the books. This die-cut, valentine-shaped board book is a case in point. For the most part, it reads like a mawkish love letter from caregiver to child, heaping on the hyperbole to a degree that feels almost unctuous. To be fair, of course, parenthood is one of the few human experiences so profound that those new to the role might find themselves in total agreement with the sentiments somewhat cloyingly expressed herein: “Twinkle, twinkle, little one; / your precious life has just begun. // You fill the world with hope and light, // my special child you shine so bright.” Perhaps it’s best that this book is intended for an audience too young to fully grasp its meaning; that sort of praise could lead to some seriously swelled heads. Fortunately, the highfalutin doggerel is undercut by the emergence of a smiling, yellow, star-shaped finger puppet from a hole in the center of the book; wagging this star at youngsters while reading aloud makes the experience just silly enough to counteract the treacle. The text ends on a down-to-earth note: “Twinkle, twinkle, you’re my star; // I love you just the way you are!” Bright colors and hearts abound.
A bit cringey, but who doesn’t love finger puppets? (Board book. 6 mos.-2)Pub Date: July 31, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-338-24312-3
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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