Snazzy illustrations in the service of preachy, disappointing text.
Not everything that looks yummy belongs in our tummies!
There are so many genuinely yummy foods in the world, like ice cream, milk, doughnuts, and watermelon. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of things that may look yummy—such as crayons, coins, sand, and Band-Aids—but that just don’t taste very good. In this book, the loosely patterned text classifies images as “yum,” “yummy,” or “yuck,” elucidating for children the difference between what looks good and what actually tastes good. Overall, “yummy” foods tend to have a higher sugar content than those labeled “yum.” The simple, clean illustrations feature a cool palette of colors and whimsical designs that are perfect for very young readers. Unfortunately, the text lacks the same age appropriateness. The language is often too sophisticated for small children, using phrases like “you’ll immediately regret it” and “looks can be deceiving” that seem meant for the adults reading the book aloud rather than the children listening to it. Even more problematically, the book’s attempts at tongue-in-cheek humor often end up sounding preachy, as the narrator admonishes young children for the developmentally appropriate—albeit gross and often terrifying—pattern of exploring the world with their mouths. In particular, a page that suddenly features instructions on how to properly wash hands is a non sequitur that feels more like a lecture than an organic place for the story to go.
Snazzy illustrations in the service of preachy, disappointing text. (Board book. 6 mos.-2)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-3-7913-7405-5
Page Count: 30
Publisher: Prestel
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
A cleverly illustrated and simply told story best for the youngest makers.
It’s so much fun to play with clay!
There is so much that can be done with just a little bit of clay. On each page of this board book, a piece of clay is transformed into something new. It begins as a “blob” and then becomes a “ball,” a “snake,” a “flowerpot,” and a “flower,” among other things. Included among these intricate designs are images that children could themselves easily create, such as a collection of small, colorful pieces of clay and a “smushed”-up mess of “pink and yellow.” Cleverly, the letters are themselves made from clay, making the words feel like pictures: The characters in the word “coiled,” for example, spiral and twirl, thereby both providing a context clue as to the word’s meeting and creating a layered, textured visual that feels like an illustration. The words and the clay creations burst with color, and many of the sculptures—such as the snake—have a sense of movement and silliness sure to delight young readers. The simple, direct text is in first person, giving the book a sense of intimacy, as though the artist is speaking directly to readers. The relative simplicity of the compositions, which float in white space, and the brevity of the text gear this to a toddler audience.
A cleverly illustrated and simply told story best for the youngest makers. (Board book. 1-2)Pub Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09441-9
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Oct. 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2019
A bright and friendly but no more than serviceable board book.
Little readers play peekaboo with animals.
Carle’s iconic illustrations form the centerpiece of this simple lift-the-flap board book. Each double-page spread features an animal obscured by a flap (a solid block of trademark, textured Carle color) on one side and a four-line abcb stanza describing the animal on the opposite page. Readers are given hints about the hidden creature before they play peekaboo and lift the flap to reveal a monkey, horse, turtle, and more. “I’m a big cat, / but I don’t purr. / I’ve got black stripes / and bright orange fur.” Although most of the facts offered are scientifically valid, the ambiguously worded modifier for the monkey’s clue—“With my long tail, / I swing in the trees”—risks imparting the misinformation that monkeys suspend themselves from their tails. Carle’s illustrations are as recognizable to little readers as the characters on Sesame Street or Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, and the familiarity breeds appreciation. There’s nothing truly special or distinctive regarding the mechanics of this particular title, but the familiar look acts as a comfort food–esque motivation to get little ones’ attention.
A bright and friendly but no more than serviceable board book. (Board book. 1-2)Pub Date: June 6, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5344-0105-1
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
