by Adeline Ruel ; illustrated by Adeline Ruel ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2017
Expressive, colorful illustrations do not elevate this disjointed story to the status of the perfect bedtime lovey.
Big Bear just can’t fall asleep.
When the tired, grouchy bear finds out about Hedgehog’s “lovey” (a small, stuffed toy with big ears), he wonders “what kind of lovey would be right for a big bear like me?” He asks many other animals about their loveys and finds out that Wolf’s is “flat and squishy like a pillow,” Sheep’s is “woolly and white,” Snake’s is a mouse (!), and Little Hare doesn’t have one yet. Illustrations are bright, colorful, and childlike, with expressive animal faces. While the concept of a soft toy to snuggle with is nearly universal, the execution in this uncredited translation from the French is incongruent and has inconsistencies. Why is Sheep the only domesticated animal included with all the other forest animals? Every animal’s lovey appears on the bottom right of the composition except for Snake’s, begging the question whether Snake’s lovey is a real mouse. The story does not clearly lead readers to understand why Big Bear decides that he wants a lovey that is “small, cuddly, soft, and white, with long ears” and chooses the living, sentient Little Hare, but it does show, as the friends cuddle together with smiles on their faces in the final double-page spread, that they are “just right.”
Expressive, colorful illustrations do not elevate this disjointed story to the status of the perfect bedtime lovey. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-988-8341-49-8
Page Count: 22
Publisher: minedition
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
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by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Sanja Rešček ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 5, 2016
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead.
An Easter-themed board-book parody of the traditional nursery rhyme.
Unfortunately, this effort is just as sugary and uninspired as The Itsy Bitsy Snowman, offered by the same pair in 2015. A cheerful white bunny hops through a pastel world to distribute candy and treats for Easter but spills his baskets. A hedgehog, fox, mouse, and various birds come to the bunny’s rescue, retrieving the candy, helping to devise a distribution plan, and hiding the eggs. Then magically, they all fly off in a hot air balloon as the little animals in the village emerge to find the treats. Without any apparent purpose, the type changes color to highlight some words. For very young children every word is new, so highlighting “tiny tail” or “friends” makes no sense. Although the text is meant to be sung, the words don't quite fit the rhythm of the original song. Moreover, there are not clear motions to accompany the text; without the fingerplay movements, this book has none of the satisfying verve of the traditional version.
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5621-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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by Deborah Diesen ; illustrated by Dan Hanna ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 2014
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.
This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.
Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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