Truer words…capping a less-contentious alternative to Candace Fleming’s Go Sleep in Your Own Bed!, illustrated by Lori...
Reindeer would like to go to sleep but can’t seem to find a bed that doesn’t already belong to someone else.
Leading a large cast of droopy-eyed animals in nightclothes, Reindeer tries to sack out in bed after bed—only to discover time after time (with lifts of successive single gatefolds) that no, each belongs to Raccoon, or the two Moles, or Fox, or Bunny, or another housemate. The views of Reindeer awkwardly sprawled atop or wedged into hammocks or different types of too-small or otherwise unsuitable bedsteads are positively chuckleworthy, and more-acute viewers can predict who will be occupying each bed before the flap is lifted by noting which animal has disappeared from Bijsterbosch’s shrinking cast of sleepy onlookers. The bright, matte colors are eye-catching, offering just the right balance of busyness to help guide board-book readers into more-complicated compositions. Reindeer arrives at last at a bed that would be perfect but is already occupied by an owl. Her dismay is short-lived, as the owl wakes up and flies off hooting, “I sleep during the day. Now it is your turn.” Ahh, sweet relief at last! “We all sleep best,” the simply phrased narrative concludes, “in our own bed.”
Truer words…capping a less-contentious alternative to Candace Fleming’s Go Sleep in Your Own Bed!, illustrated by Lori Nichols (2017). (Picture book/novelty. 2-5)Pub Date: April 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-60537-387-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
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
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Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.
You think you know shapes? Animals? Blend them together, and you might see them both a little differently!
What a mischievous twist on a concept book! With wordplay and a few groan-inducing puns, Neal creates connections among animals and shapes that are both unexpected and so seemingly obvious that readers might wonder why they didn’t see them all along. Of course, a “lazy turtle” meeting an oval would create the side-splitting combo of a “SLOW-VAL.” A dramatic page turn transforms a deeply saturated, clean-lined green oval by superimposing a head and turtle shell atop, with watery blue ripples completing the illusion. Minimal backgrounds and sketchy, impressionistic detailing keep the focus right on the zany animals. Beginning with simple shapes, the geometric forms become more complicated as the book advances, taking readers from a “soaring bird” that meets a triangle to become a “FLY-ANGLE” to a “sleepy lion” nonagon “YAWN-AGON.” Its companion text, Animal Colors, delves into color theory, this time creating entirely hybrid animals, such as the “GREEN WHION” with maned head and whale’s tail made from a “blue whale and a yellow lion.” It’s a compelling way to visualize color mixing, and like Animal Shapes, it’s got verve. Who doesn’t want to shout out that a yellow kangaroo/green moose blend is a “CHARTREUSE KANGAMOOSE”?
Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0534-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
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