This Dutch/Belgian import will be useful during that seemingly endless time of toilet training.
A gentle nudge to help children make the transition from potty to “real potty."
Bunny is potty trained. She brings her little red potty with her everywhere. But when her potty goes missing, she must go looking for it, stopping at friends’ houses one by one. The conversation at each animal’s home starts, “Knock, knock. Are you using the potty?” From behind a door, each animal answers “Yes,” and invites her to come in. The narrator then asks readers to speculate “Who’s sitting on this potty?”The sturdy flap that doubles as a painted bathroom door hints at what animal is sitting on the toilet. With five to nine lines of text per page, the story is somewhat wordy, but the predictable format of each interaction and conversational tone throughout will sustain children’s interest, especially if they are in the midst of toilet training. Brightly colored pictures of familiar objects, including lots of toilets, give toddlers much to talk about. (Tiger’s throne is shown with a splash guard, but otherwise no mention is made of the toileting challenges tots with penises must overcome.) When Giraffe points out that “you can never lose a real potty,” Bunny runs home and uses it. A final spread showing Bunny flushing and washing her hands before joining her friends outside will be appreciated by germ-conscious adults.
This Dutch/Belgian import will be useful during that seemingly endless time of toilet training. (Board book. 2-5)Pub Date: May 25, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-60537-639-4
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
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
BOOK REVIEW
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