Uncomfortable and unremarkable.
Kids of many races celebrate nationalism at a Fourth of July parade.
This latest volume in the First Celebrations series invites children to identify eight basic colors and a few simple objects in a no-frills parade. The images are easily grasped but dull, with the same blue background on most pages. The occasion for the parade isn’t named, but the prevalence of red, white, and blue and an appearance by Uncle Sam suggest the Fourth of July. The top of the book is cut in a wavy pattern that complements the ripples of the flag on the cover, and two pages that focus on the red-and-white stripes of the flag exhort readers to “wave a flag back and forth.” The parade includes a fire engine, a marching band, floats, and a brown-skinned police officer on horseback. The multicultural cast also includes a black firefighter, a white marching-band drummer, and children of a variety of skin tones. This book can be seen as either determinedly aspirational or tone-deaf to the current moment. Against a backdrop of anti-immigrant sentiment and deportations, the celebratory air and unvaryingly smiling faces feel forced in their apparent enthusiasm.
Uncomfortable and unremarkable. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: May 2, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-58089-536-1
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
No need to go on this excursion.
A white-spotted black pup enjoys various picnic activities.
There is kite flying, a romp in the flowers, a playground exploration, and various treats in six double-page spreads of highly stylized and florescent digital art. The day culminates in an explosion of fireworks. A companion book, Beach Day!, features the same color-intense imagery, but here, two white youngsters delight in the sand and surf. Hinton’s art, while bold, may prove confusing to little ones learning to label and name common objects. Apples are pine-green, hair is plaid, and objects are all over the place in terms of scale. Human or animal characters do not appear until the second or third double-page spread in, giving both projects an ungrounded feel.
No need to go on this excursion. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)Pub Date: May 31, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0220-7
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
A colorfully rambunctious book to expand a little one’s vocabulary and vocal stylings.
Pets spring to life in a noisy lift-the-flap book.
Little readers love animals, and this large board book is dedicated to teaching basic attributes of the most common animals in baby literature. “Cats love to climb. They sleep everywhere.” Pictured alongside the basic text are photos of real kitties digitally collaged into illustrated backgrounds. Each double-page spread features a flap on the right side. When little ones lift the flap, a sensor sets off the book’s interior speaker. The sounds are all of good quality, and the battery is long-lasting. Adults may get a little worn down by repeated barking, meowing, and tweeting, but the target audience will adore it. A concurrently published title, Noisy Playhouse Peekaboo!, uses the same structure to explore the common items found in a house and boasts the sounds of a washing machine, kitchen clock, and radio. Both books are sturdily bound with securely fixed flaps that should stand up to all but the mightiest of toddlers. The illustrations use rounded shapes and a primary color palette to pull young readers in.
A colorfully rambunctious book to expand a little one’s vocabulary and vocal stylings. (Board book. 1-2)Pub Date: April 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4654-4407-3
Page Count: 12
Publisher: DK Publishing
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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