Part book, part puzzle, all fun.
Little ones are invited to piece together a farm.
The barnyard acts as a backdrop for this "read and play" book. Cows, chickens, horses, and several other farm animals are absent from their pictures, and little ones are encourage to complete the illustration with attached puzzle pieces. Each animal piece is connected to the book's spine with a colored ribbon. The ribbon's color matches the book's text. For example, in the hint "Chickens 'cluck' as they go," the word “chicken” is printed in orange type, and the chicken piece is affixed to the book with an orange ribbon. These ribbons also make these pieces nearly impossible to lose. The pieces are sturdy enough that young readers can chew on them, and parents needn't worry about soggy sheep falling apart. Younger readers may be more interested in fiddling with individual pieces than in the blandly rhyming story, but older readers will surely enjoy the matching game.
Part book, part puzzle, all fun. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: June 30, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-69077-5
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
Despite the positivity, much of the sentiment and imagery will go over the heads of babies and toddlers.
Six little books in a boxed set promote an optimistic view of the world.
Each of these 3-inch-square works presents four cartoon scenes, each one on a double-page spread. The text comprises one-sentence captions expressing sentiments that have been said before and with more artistry. Friends shares these thoughts: “Let’s DANCE and be FRIENDS. / FRIENDS make you feel all WARM inside. / Friends are KIND to each other. / You are my truest FRIEND.” The other titles, which include Life, You and Me and Fun, follow a similar format. Each cartoon is speckled with hearts, flowers, stars and other upbeat symbols; various cutesy animals with human accessories dramatize the scenes in flat colors. Unfortunately, the imagery is too sophisticated for average board-book readers. The first page of Love shows a couple of bears obsessed with a variety of sophisticated high-tech gadgets, and Happiness includes an illustration of a gorilla contentedly knitting. One clever feature: The back covers of the six books fit together in two rows to create a picture of a contented hippo.
Despite the positivity, much of the sentiment and imagery will go over the heads of babies and toddlers. (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: June 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4052-5963-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Egmont UK
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2013
An amusing, imaginative launch into outer space.
Milo and Mouse have an out-of-this-world adventure.
Cat and mouse buckle their seatbelts and head for the stars. The story focuses heavily on trip preparation. Mouse charts the course while Milo revs up the rocket. A vertical bar on the cover's edge provides a 10-second timeline that corresponds to specific actions within scenes and doubles as the countdown to takeoff. A bold “BLASTOFF!” in fiery orange against the royal blue sky depicts the rocket jetting off the page; smaller letters celebrate: “And away they go!” A maplike schematic depicts the steps of their journey, connecting the ambitious (“Visit Saturn!”) to the outrageous (“Hello, Alien!”) with more businesslike steps in between (“Discover new galaxies. Repair the satellite”). The final spread includes a nod to an American pioneer of the great beyond: “It's one small step for Mouse, / one giant leap for Milo!” Fine, frequently dotted lines and busy spreads gear this for toddlers and up.
An amusing, imaginative launch into outer space. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: June 25, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-60905-208-9
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Blue Apple
Review Posted Online: June 12, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012
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