Each of these once-upon-a-time tales takes one of two tacks: mild moralizing or wish fulfillment. The ones that moralize feel smug and pat: A greedy little boy learns to share when another boy barks back; a toy is found, after much searching, in the toy chest where it should be; a bath-wary girl jumps in when a toy whale smiles at her. The wish-fulfilling tales have a measure of endearment: An early riser persuades his father to listen to birdsong with him; a father who thinks he doesn't have time to play finds some; a boy who forgot to give his mother a kiss good- bye in the morning delivers one that night upon her return. Each story is amiably concluded in two clipped pages, with Stevenson's illustrations to capture toddler imaginations. Although even two-year-olds will understand that events in the world are not always resolved so smoothly, the mood is upbeat. Simplistic and benign. (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: March 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-688-14706-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1997
The author-illustrator of Nice Work, Little Wolf! (1993) presents a pantomime, with a toddler announcing the actions of his animal friends and—in an irresistible invitation to young audiences to join in—imitating them on facing pages. The animals' movements are described in catchy verse (``First two little crows/pointed their toes...The monkey stretched his arms out wide./The hippo swayed from side to side./When everyone stamped and yelled for more,/the big gray elephant rolled on the floor''); simple directions for audience/participants are added in smaller type (``Grown-ups clap. [Children] Bow''). Offen's brightly colored pictures are robust and full of smiles. A charming introduction to theater, just right to share with a parent/toddler group. (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-525-45174-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1994
A simple, predictable story about a little rabbit who's too small to help his parents or join the play of his older siblings; fortunately, the tricycle Granpa has fixed for him is just the right size, as is Granpa's lap when they share a book later that evening. What makes this special is the lovingly detailed setting depicted in the colored pencil illustrations, which beautifully capture the autumnal woodland, the endearing rabbits, and their cozy relationships. These soft, warm drawings are precious, in the best sense. (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: May 1, 1992
ISBN: 1-56402-028-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1992
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