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BUILD IT UP AND KNOCK IT DOWN

Name: BUILD IT UP AND KNOCK IT DOWN
Author: Tom Hunter
ISBN: 0-694-01568-7

by Tom Hunter & illustrated by James Yang ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2002

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Two little boy figures get together for a play date in a simple, repetitive text that emphasizes opposites. One page reads: “Turn it on and turn it off and turn it on again” and shows the boys pulling the chain on a lamp. The facing page shows their dark silhouettes with text only slightly altered: “Turn it off and turn it on and turn it off again.” The geometric, stick-figure illustrations with two eyes on one side of a face in profile and hair represented by several straight lines sticking up from a head the shape of a marshmallow are reminiscent of the drawings of a four-year-old. The mothers appear only as skirts and black high heels, lending the illustrations a retro feel. It’s short, sweet, simple, and made to appeal to a two-year-old whose greatest joy is to repeat endlessly his favorite activities until it’s time to “Go away and come on back and go away again.” Part of the Harper Growing Tree series that comes complete with “tips for reading and sharing.” (Picture book. 2-3)

Pub Date: May 1, 2002

ISBN: 0-694-01568-7

Page Count: 24

Publisher: HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2002

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

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WHAT TIME IS IT, DANIEL TIGER?

From the Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood series

by Maggie Testa ; illustrated by Jason Fruchter ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 30, 2016

A terrific resource for fans of Daniel Tiger and newcomers alike.

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Animated PBS character Daniel Tiger helps readers tell time.

Mr. Rogers–like (explicitly—the show is produced by the Fred Rogers Co.), Daniel Tiger welcomes his neighbors, inviting them to spend the day with him and learn to use a clock along the way. A large clock face with movable hands is accessible through a large, die-cut circle in the upper-right corner of each double-page spread. The hands click and clack as they’re moved around the clock’s face, and the sound is peculiarly satisfying. Each hand has a different noise, helping children to differentiate between the two. Daniel and his family and friends do lots of things throughout the day, including eating breakfast, going to school, running errands, eating dinner, and going to bed. The illustrations emulate the show’s rounded, calmly colored style. Fans of the television show will be entranced. Daniel’s constant engagement with readers will spawn busy interaction, and the fact that this book covers a whole day makes it an excellent read right before bed.

A terrific resource for fans of Daniel Tiger and newcomers alike. (Board book. 2-3)

Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-4814-6934-0

Page Count: 14

Publisher: Simon Spotlight

Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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FAIRY GOODNIGHT KISSES

by Jamie Michalak & illustrated by Kaori Watanabe ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2008

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“The fairy family is getting ready for bed. Shh! Come and see…. / 1 one glowing moon ….” Readers are prompted to count familiar bedtime objects from one to ten, all rendered in Watanabe’s pastel hues on (mostly) softly contrasting backgrounds. While toddlers with rudimentary number sense may have difficulty with “four pairs of fuzzy slippers”—which will be more easily understood as “eight slippers”—the progression is more or less straightforward until the final spread of “ten goodnight kisses” bestowed by one fairy mother to her ten tucked-in children, presumably in turn although only kiss number one is shown. More for adult readers than for babies. Fairy Tea Party (ISBN: 978-1-58925-840-1) introduces colors with equally dubious success, given the overall busy-ness of the colors. (2-3)