A delight.
Chew-proof, rip-proof, nontoxic, washable, and utterly charming!
This newest offering, along with companion Things That Go!, in the highly practical Indestructibles series delights and informs while withstanding all the punishment exuberant young readers can inflict. Tough, tightly bound, floppy pages stand up to grabby hands, drool, gums and teeth, food, spills, and even a dunk in the tub. Wild, domestic, and barnyard animals, appealingly rendered in bold, vibrant colors, stand out against brightly colored backgrounds as they enjoy many of baby’s favorite activities: playing, eating, making noise, and snuggling. The front cover and the final two pages pair baby animals with parents, but for most of the book, it’s babies all the way. Each infant is identified by the type of animal it is and the proper term for babies of that species—the requisite cubs and calves, for example, but also some joeys and a hatchling. Artist Lomp imbues every animal with personality. The babies are carefree and social at play, jumping, cavorting in mud, or gazing in wonder at a dandelion. They eat with purpose and gusto. When noisy, they sing in joyous, cacophonous concert. When they snuggle, babes and parents alike look happy, peaceful, and content. While the charm factor in Things That Go! is less pronounced, it offers a nifty variety of transportation modes, including biplane, blimp, and scooter, driven and ridden by cheery humans of diverse races and genders.
A delight. (Board book. 6 mos.-2)Pub Date: April 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7611-9308-1
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.
Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.
This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-93809-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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