The joys of collecting, artfully conveyed.
A tour of collections great and small.
Readers are instructed to flick a switch on the opening page, literally shedding light on an unseen narrator’s collection of neatly displayed “small things,” including a puzzle piece, a snail, a paper clip, and a button. Woollvin’s fetchingly stencil-like, glowing graphics imbue most objects, even inanimate ones, with lively eyes, as in her Little Red (2016). Next up is a collection of “BIG things”—an elephant, a whale, and a car—spilling off the page. Quick, help the narrator “squash them back in!” Whew! The narrator shows off a collection of “pointy things” and then one of “prickly things” (“Expert collectors know the difference”), followed by a “most exciting” collection of rocks. Every page invites reader participation: Kids are asked to blow away cobwebs, grab an errant spider, sniff the pungent offerings in the “stinky collection,” and sort a variety of especially delicate objects (“Gently does it!”). Uh-oh: You dropped the narrator’s teapot! But don’t worry; it soon finds a new home in the collection of broken things. And hey, there’s that spider! Readers successfully corral it, and the narrator adds it to a “many-legs” collection labeled “DO NOT LET US OUT.” The last page encourages youngsters to become collectors themselves, but they won’t need much convincing; Woollvin’s quirky, conversational text and artwork will have already persuaded them to follow suit.
The joys of collecting, artfully conveyed. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: April 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781836004660
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree.
A Christmas edition of the beloved alphabet book.
The story starts off nearly identically to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989), written by John Archambault and the late Bill Martin Jr, with the letters A, B, and C deciding to meet in the branches of a tree. This time, they’re attempting to scale a Christmas tree, not a coconut tree, and the letters are strung together like garland. A, B, and C are joined by the other letters, and of course they all “slip, slop, topple, plop!” right down the tree. At the bottom, they discover an assortment of gifts, all in a variety of shapes. As a team, the letters and presents organize themselves to get back up on the Christmas tree and get a star to the top. Holiday iterations of favorite tales often fall flat, but this take succeeds. The gifts are an easy way to reinforce another preschool concept—shapes—and the text uses just enough of the original to be familiar. The rhyming works, sticking to the cadence of the source material. The illustrations pay homage to the late Lois Ehlert’s, featuring the same bold block letters, though they lack some of the whimsy and personality of the original. Otherwise, everything is similarly brightly colored and simply drawn. Those familiar with the classic will be drawn to this one, but newcomers can enjoy it on its own.
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665954761
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated.
Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault’s classic alphabet book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) gets the Halloween treatment.
Chung follows the original formula to the letter. In alphabetical order, each letter climbs to the top of a tree. They are knocked back to the ground in a jumble before climbing up in sequence again. In homage to the spooky holiday theme, they scale a “creaky old tree,” and a ghostly jump scare causes the pileup. The chunky, colorful art is instantly recognizable. The charmingly costumed letters (“H swings a tail. / I wears a patch. J and K don / bows that don’t match”) are set against a dark backdrop, framed by pages with orange or purple borders. The spreads feature spiderwebs and jack-o’-lanterns. The familiar rhyme cadence is marred by the occasional clunky or awkward phrase; in particular, the adapted refrain of “Chicka chicka tricka treat” offers tongue-twisting fun, but it’s repeatedly followed by the disappointing half-rhyme “Everybody sneaka sneak.” Even this odd construction feels shoehorned into place, since “sneaking” makes little sense when every character in the book is climbing together. The final line of the book ends on a more satisfying note, with “Everybody—time to eat!”
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781665954785
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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