Gives a whole new meaning to “monkeying around” before bedtime.
What’s the harm in letting one tiny monkey into the house?
A young tot getting ready for bed sees a pygmy marmoset outside in the rain. He lets the creature inside, and they have fun jumping on the bed and playing with toys. But then, the little critter scampers downstairs and lets more primates in. Soon there are howlers, capuchins, baboons, and more, all over the house. The boy’s mother is upstairs tending to the baby and isn’t sure what’s going on. But the youngster has it covered, with a string of confident replies: “ ‘I’m coming, Mom,’ I shouted back. / ‘Just tidying my toys!’ ” Mayhem that rivals that of a certain cat (in a certain hat) ensues. The text bounces along in rhyming couplets, matching the rhythm of the monkeys’ swings. Gregory’s cartoonish art is full of motion and mischief, with jelly handprints on the walls and scuttling little rascals flipping and climbing everywhere. The frenetic pace crashes to a halt when the monkeys realize how upset the little boy is getting. Contrite, they quickly clean everything up and march in a line out the front door. The little boy is light-skinned, while his mom is slightly darker-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Gives a whole new meaning to “monkeying around” before bedtime. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-571-35276-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022
Daddy-and-child dog lovers can try some of these canine ways of expressing affection.
Puppies celebrate the many ways their dads are awesome.
“Daddies are playful. / They swing you around. // You ride on their shoulders / or hang upside down.” The first spread pictures a scruffy pup, mouth clamped on its dad’s tail, hanging. The second features a long dachshund, his four pups using the large expanse of his back as a jungle gym or resting spot. The husky dad is labeled as daring, brave, and strong, while the hound takes his pup on adventures (digging and hiding under a bush). Other dog dads give kisses and tickles, tell bedtime stories and help count sheep (a stuffed toy), and help their pups grow (challenging them with stairs and carrying them when the going gets tough). Lovšin creatively interprets some of the text that applies well to kids but not so well to canines: dad and pup at each end of a long stick held in their mouths is the dog equivalent of holding hands. Though many dog breeds will be familiar, some are just mutts, though all are shown caring for and enjoying the company of their offspring. White backgrounds keep the focus on the dogs.
Daddy-and-child dog lovers can try some of these canine ways of expressing affection. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 17, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62779-452-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
A worthwhile message that just doesn't quite fly.
A sadly lackluster paean to the premise that “no two snowflakes are alike, / almost, almost… / but not quite.”
Beginning with snowflakes, Baker then branches out to celebrate the uniqueness of other things, some found in nature, some manmade—nests, branches, leaves and forests. “No two fences, long and low, / no two roads—where do they go? / No two bridges, wood or stone, / no two houses— / anyone home?” His ultimate message, arrived at on almost the final page, is that every living thing is one of a kind. While it is certainly an important message, the very young may not make the leap from the animals and things that populate the book to humans, which make no appearance. Baker’s digital illustrations fill the spreads with simple shapes and soft, woodsy colors. The two red birds (rather like crestless cardinals) that fly through this wintry wonderland steal the show. Their expressions are adorable, their antics endearing and rather anthropomorphic—one skis, while the other tries to pelt a fox with snowballs. But they may not be enough to carry the flat text and lack of a story line. Indeed, the book depends on the rhymes and the cute birds to keep the pages turning.
A worthwhile message that just doesn't quite fly. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4424-1742-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2011
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