“Exploring the Americas” is a misnomer, but the artwork is delightful.
This board book features a total of 26 animals from North, Central, and South America, one for each letter of the alphabet.
Each animal is simply presented: “A is for Alligator”; “H is for Hummingbird”; “K is for Kangaroo Rat”; and “Z is for Zebra Longwing Butterfly.” Given the limited text on each spread, it is the stylized illustrations that carry the book. The colors are vibrant in artwork that has a flat, posterlike sensibility. Unfortunately, the book doesn’t quite deliver. Perhaps the shortcoming lies in the North America–heavy choice of animals; there is not enough exploration, as the subtitle suggests, of animals in the Americas as a whole. A guide at the back of the book indicates if each animal makes its home in North, Central, or South America, and 20 out of 26 are either only in North America or also from North America. The lone Central American animal represents the letter Q: “Q is for Quetzal.” (This feels inevitable, because not many other animal names begin with Q.) Only two animals are just from South America: the uakari monkey and the x-ray fish, the latter (like the quetzal) perhaps also a perfunctory choice. It is a lost opportunity to introduce children in the United States to more animals from Central and South America.
“Exploring the Americas” is a misnomer, but the artwork is delightful. (Board book. 2-5)Pub Date: Nov. 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68010-694-7
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A clever conceit but a bland execution.
In this minimalist Australian import, readers are encouraged to guess animals based on select written and visual clues.
On each recto, readers see the hindquarters of an animal, and three simple clues ask them to guess what kind of animal they may belong to. “I have long furry ears and a small nose. / I live in a burrow in the ground. / I have a white fluffy tail. / I AM A….” The splashy watercolor rear legs and tail are ambiguous enough that they may have readers second-guessing the obvious answer. Turning the page, however, readers discover both the well-defined front half of the animal and the animal’s name: “RABBIT.” Canty uses stock 19th-century animal illustrations layered with watercolor enhancements, creating a somber yet surprising tone. Two tailless animals, a frog and human readers, are included in the roster, making the “tails” referenced in the title symbolic rather than literal. Two red herrings, the image of a mouse between the clues for and image of an elephant and (inexplicably) a squirrel leading to a giraffe, fall flat, with no other cues to young readers that they are jokes. The quirky illustrations, earthy colors, and lack of exhibited enthusiasm will make this book’s audience a niche one. There is no backmatter.
A clever conceit but a bland execution. (Informational picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Oct. 23, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0033-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
Genial starter nonfiction.
Panels activated by sliding tabs introduce youngsters to the human body.
The information is presented in matter-of-fact narration and captioned, graphically simple art featuring rounded lines, oversized heads and eyes, and muted colors. The sliding panels reveal new scenes on both sides of the page, and arrows on the large tabs indicate the direction to pull them (some tabs work left and right and others up and down). Some of the tabs show only slight changes (a white child reaches for a teddy bear, demonstrating how arms and hands work), while others are much more surprising (a different white child runs to a door and on the other side of the panel is shown sitting on the toilet). The double-page spreads employ broad themes as organizers, such as “Your Body,” “Eating Right,” and “Taking Care of Your Body.” Much of the content is focused on the outside of the body, but one panel does slide to reveal an X-ray image of a skeleton. While there are a few dark brown and amber skin tones, it is mostly white children who appear in the pages to demonstrate body movements, self-care, visiting the doctor, senses, and feelings. The companion volume, Baby Animals, employs the same style of sliding panels to introduce youngsters to little critters and their parents, from baboons to penguins.
Genial starter nonfiction. (Board book. 2-5)Pub Date: March 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-2-40800-850-5
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Twirl/Chronicle
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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