Families with similar loving, supportive relationships as well as those who are striving for this happy, evidently carefree...
It’s a happy day with Dad!
Charlie loves to ride…his bike, a race car, a rocket ship, a sled, a boat, a plane, a hot air balloon, a train, even a sidecar—but especially on his dad’s shoulders. Wearing appropriate safety gear and a broad grin, this little boy is clearly loving his life. His proud papa is right there with him, as well as a nameless white dog. Sometimes an obviously female figure or two are included (sis? or mom?), but always the focus is on Charlie and Dad. Only four or five faces shown are brown; Charlie and his dad are white. Bianchini’s black-outlined drawings on thick board pages are strikingly consistent. Charlie’s face always is round; his father is square-jawed; both are always smiling. The matte palette is predominantly shades of blue and green, lending an old-fashioned feel. Red highlights draw attention to the speeds of the various vehicles and add interest. The center spread shows Charlie and Dad peering out of a white airplane zipping through white clouds in a pale blue sky. Not coincidentally, Bianchini’s son is also named Charlie.
Families with similar loving, supportive relationships as well as those who are striving for this happy, evidently carefree reality will want to ride along . (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2292-9
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
The young woodpecker featured in this tale is a quick study: After one lesson from his daddy, he’s ready to practice pecking on his own.
With her signature palette of bold primary colors, Cousins’ gouache world of familiar objects is a toddler’s delight. There are a variety of household and backyard items to identify, colors and patterns to find and things to count. The thick, hand-lettered, black text lends itself to pointing out key words. The fledgling starts his tutorial with a single die-cut hole in a tree and ultimately becomes a bit dizzy as he finishes with 53 on a page; the scene is a laundry room peppered with pecks. A few of the rhymes are a bit bumpy: “So off I flew— / I couldn’t wait— / across the grass / and onto the gate.” Children, however, will be so busy finding the openings, sized just right for little fingers, they are not likely to care. The final pecks, sans holes, are loving kisses from a proud father. From the sunny, see-through cover to the final bedtime snuggle, this day in the life of an overachiever (naughty by human standards) is sure to generate chortles and great interest. (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6621-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Despite an illustrative technique that resembles collage with various textured papers, the mostly bright and seemingly...
Bond, illustrator of the If You Give… series, falls short in her attempt to celebrate hugs of all kinds everywhere.
Despite an illustrative technique that resembles collage with various textured papers, the mostly bright and seemingly tactile creatures still appear flat as they lie upon stark white backgrounds. The brief text begins with the statement, “Everyone hugs all over the world.” The litany of mostly opposite pairs fails to engage young readers as the pages flip by. First comes a list of different animal hugs (cats/dogs, hamsters/hippos), followed by directional concepts (upstairs/downstairs, inside/outside, here/there) and then more opposites (winter/summer, day/night). The last two double-page spreads come full circle to reiterate the initial declaration. The final spread then shows all of the animals featured in the story, reduced in size and floating around the Earth. Though individual illustrations display Bond's customary whimsy, poor contrast in some makes the animals difficult to distinguish. She is to be applauded for expanding beyond her usual style, but this métier needs more development—or perhaps a real narrative line—to work well.Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-399-25614-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Nov. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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