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
An effective rendering of the classic tune.
The classic tune rolls along in a sliding board book.
Sooner or later, just about every American child learns “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” This large board book supplies little readers with four different verses, each set on a double-page spread. A dog, a cat, and a rabbit row their boat through the English countryside, a woodland, Antarctica (or maybe the Arctic—there’s a penguin standing outside an igloo, so it’s hard to tell), and a tropical rain forest. The illustrations feature rounded, smiling animals in warmly colored environments. The sliding components are easy for little readers to manipulate, but their construction leaves a bit to be desired; excitable little ones will have no trouble tearing them apart. A concurrently published title illustrates Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star in a similar fashion. While not essential, these books do provide fodder for storytimes, and little ones familiar with how books work will be intrigued by the sliding panels.
An effective rendering of the classic tune. (Board book. 1-2)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7636-9240-7
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Still, adults looking for a read-aloud snuggle could do worse than this softly worded examination of love and the words we...
Adult animals shower love on their little ones.
This board book is all about love, specifically the love caregivers have for their children. In second-person text that uses an abcb rhyme scheme, little readers are given praise and colorful nicknames. “Doodlebug,” “sweetheart,” “sugar plum,” “champ,” and more are on offer. The book encourages cuddling and ends with a call for a big bear hug. The gently stylized figures and muted color scheme make this board book stand out visually, but beyond this superficial difference there is little that truly grabs the attention from others on the shelf. The foxes, rabbits, bears, and monkeys are all suitably adorable and will probably entertain young readers that have just begun to sit still for read-alouds. The compositions are sometimes overbusy and the visual metaphors strained. As an adult owl calls its baby a “yummy little cupcake,” the baby appears with pink feathers, green wings, and a leafy topknot, for all the world like a small flying strawberry hovering over a pastry—a picture that may be quite difficult for little ones to decode.
Still, adults looking for a read-aloud snuggle could do worse than this softly worded examination of love and the words we use to express it. (Board book. 1-2)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68010-519-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
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