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UP CAT DOWN CAT

Hello kitty! Don’t miss this playful yet urbane combination of concept book and art book.

A pair of coy cats cleverly demonstrates various binary opposites.

Rarely are toddlers treated to such a refined concept board book, as two sleek cats, one black and one white, evocatively act out eight different sets of opposites. These are not darling cartoon cats; rather they are charismatic felines whose bodies slink and perch and lounge about, as when the white cat stretches its sinuous body out “long” while the black cat simultaneously curls into a “short,” compact ball. Efficiently covering oft-seen concepts like wet and dry (with one poor damp kitty and one dry, suspicious one) or awake and asleep, the book also veers into some lesser-seen sets, such as straight/curvy, with one cat tail hanging languidly and the other loopy and twitching. Lost/found, however, may not be so easy for toddlers to parse. Atmospheric multimedia art combines earthy linoprint backgrounds and collaged cats into a modern, toddler-friendly version of the famous Le Chat Noir poster, especially with its strikingly neutral cats placed against the boldly colored backgrounds. Within the cosmopolitan art, there are child-friendly elements and humor, like the ubiquitous small blue mouse toy that begs to be found or the naughty white cat calmly knocking a vase from a shelf or begging pathetically for the black cat’s dinner.

Hello kitty! Don’t miss this playful yet urbane combination of concept book and art book. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: May 5, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-5362-1031-6

Page Count: 16

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020

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SPOOKY POOKIE

A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.

One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.

It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.

A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: July 7, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-553-51233-5

Page Count: 18

Publisher: Robin Corey/Random

Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016

Categories:
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LLAMA LLAMA TRICK OR TREAT

From the Llama Llama series

In this board book designed for the littlest llama lovers, adorable-as-ever Llama Llama (Llama Llama Red Pajama, 2005, etc.) gets ready for some Halloween fun.

Dewdney’s characteristic spare, apt rhymes convey a lot of action in effortlessly readable fashion. A charming and simple introduction to Halloween and its associated activities, this title finds little Llama Llama choosing and carving a pumpkin, pouring candy into bowls, picking out a costume and, finally, trick-or-treating. The costume Llama Llama decides to don—pointy teeth and a black mask and cape—is enough to frighten and fool his friends but not readers, who will immediately recognize and smile at the silly little mini-Dracula. With Dewdney’s characters as expressive as ever, young readers will be drawn right into the holiday fun, eagerly anticipating which costume Llama Llama will choose and excited to see him scare his friends and score some candy at trick-or-treat. In the equally appealing companion title, Llama Llama Jingle Bells,the little fellow gets ready for Christmas, baking and decorating some cookies in anticipation of Santa’s arrival. This simple holiday title will win Llama Llama new fans, and old friends will want to add it and its companion to their collections. (Board book. 1-2)

 

Pub Date: Aug. 19, 2014

ISBN: 978-0451469786

Page Count: 14

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: June 24, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015

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