by Bob Bianchini ; illustrated by Bob Bianchini ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2017
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
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by Samantha Lizzio ; illustrated by eOne ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 30, 2019
This TV rerun in board-book form has nothing new to offer.
Peppa hopes to join her classmates in a Halloween pumpkin competition in this adaptation of a story from the popular British television program Peppa Pig.
With the help of Granny and Grandpa Pig, Peppa turns her giant pumpkin, which is the size of a compact car, into a jack-o’-lantern. The trio is flummoxed when it comes time to transport the pumpkin to the competition, so they call on Miss Rabbit and her helicopter to airlift the pumpkin to the festivities as Peppa and her grandparents ride inside. Peppa arrives just in time for the contest and wins the prize for best flying pumpkin. The scenes look as if they are pulled directly from the television show, right down to the rectangular framing of some of the scenes. While the story is literally nothing new, the text is serviceable, describing the action in two to three sentences per page. The pumpkin-shaped book and orange foil cover will likely attract youngsters, whether they are Peppa fans or not.
This TV rerun in board-book form has nothing new to offer. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 30, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-33922-2
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019
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by Gary Urda ; illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 14, 2018
It’s nothing new, but it’s also clearly heartfelt.
A love song from parents to their child.
This title will seem quite similar to the many others about parents’ deep love for their children. The text is wholly composed of first-person declarations of parental love, and it’s juxtaposed with illustrations of the child with one or both parents. It’s not always clear who the “I” speaking is, and there are a few pages that instead use “we.” Most sentences begin with “I love you more” phrasing to communicate that nothing could undermine parental love: “I love you more than all the sleepless nights…and all the early, tired mornings.” The accompanying pictures depict the child as a baby with weary parents. Later spreads show the child growing up, and the phrasing shifts away from the challenges of parenting to its joys and to attempts to quantify love: “I love you more than all the blades of grass at the park…and all the soccer that we played.” Throughout, Bell’s illustrations use pastel tones and soft visual texture to depict cozy, wholesome scenes that are largely redundant of the straightforward, warm text. They feature a brown-haired family with a mother, father, and child, who all appear to be white (though the father has skin that’s a shade darker than the others’).
It’s nothing new, but it’s also clearly heartfelt. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0652-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
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by Gary Urda ; illustrated by Rosie Butcher
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