The brief, simple storyline and built-in participation will make this one a treat for busy tots.
This interactive offering asks readers to help Piglet find a favorite mud puddle.
Readers start by punching out a little piggy that is threaded on a cleverly placed string that runs from the front cover to the back cover, allowing Piglet to slip through die-cut openings from one page spread to the next. On the hunt for that mud puddle, Piglet asks Cow where it might be: “Moo, moo! Not here,” Cow answers, “Run and ask Chicken.” Little listeners will be excited to help Piglet through the opening and turn the page, where again there is no mud. Once through the next opening, Piglet visits the horse, who sends the little porker on to the yard. Move Piglet through one more opening, and there’s Mama Pig, the rest of the brood, and at last, that favorite puddle of mud. The moving piggy is sure to engage toddlers, but adults should know that they will likely need to thread Piglet back to the beginning of the book for repeat fun (it’s more difficult to move the little cardboard piece backward). In companion volume Hop, Hop Bunny, little hands maneuver a bunny through flower gardens, over rocks, and under a bush before finding Daddy Bunny and the rest of the family in the carrot patch.
The brief, simple storyline and built-in participation will make this one a treat for busy tots. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2467-4
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
Life is good for Little Frog—that is, until nine new tadpoles join the family. Suddenly, his parents are preoccupied, and...
Little Frog becomes a big brother and learns to adapt in this predictable sibling tale.
Life is good for Little Frog—that is, until nine new tadpoles join the family. Suddenly, his parents are preoccupied, and resentment sets in. But when the tadpoles turn into frogs, the siblings play together and Little Frog becomes the “best big brother to them all.” A pat ending to a rote storyline. Feeney’s short text and simple illustrations appear to be for a very young audience, yet the protagonist calls his siblings “stupid,” a term that seems more likely to fall from the lips of older children. While the author tries to use the careless phrase as a teachable moment, parents should ready themselves to deal with it as well. Well-composed images, done in pencil with a three-color design, offer an enjoyable layout. Still, while the design is interesting and the linework precise, both the text and artwork are missing a consideration that would have given this tale more substance. A recycled plot for an already-full new-sibling bookshelf. (Picture book. 2-4) .Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-385-75372-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Oct. 19, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Good fun for very young animal lovers. (Picture book. 2-4)
How do you find the perfect pet?
A boy wants a pet, but “[n]ot just any pet will do,” and, naturally, to find an animal, one would go and visit…the zoo. Colorful illustrations with just the right amount of action show the boy, complete with wagon and net, arriving at the zoo to peruse the selection. He doesn’t notice the very appealing pup who lingers in the background as he travels around and crosses animals off his mental list; the giraffe is “[t]oo high,” the meerkats “[t]oo low,” the cheetah “[t]oo fast,” and the tortoise “[t]oo slow.” The short, rhymed phrases continue through other animals, until the boy discovers just the pet he is searching for, right in front of his eyes. Will he bring the pup home? You bet! While the scenario is somewhat thin and forced—a toddler on his own in the zoo searching for a pet?—the story’s gentle humor carries through, and the appealing pictures, familiar animals, predictable descriptions and satisfying ending will entertain young listeners just beginning to identify zoo animals and their characteristics. The easy-to-interpret interaction between text and illustrations combine with the rhyme to make this book work well for beginning readers as well as lapsitters.
Good fun for very young animal lovers. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-58925-113-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: July 17, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
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