There is a lot going on in the polished design of this counting book, with some scenes and objects more readily recognizable in their simplicity or sophistication than others. Cars are odd, unfamiliar shapes, five on one small page, with their passengers more the focal point. But then the people are the focus of this quirky, jolly entrant into the board book genre, in which children of different races eat blueberries, water flowers, and generally make merry. There are things to count, 120, and a nice final spread recaps the exercise. (Board book. 2-5)
Pub Date: March 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-689-81660-X
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1997
From Serfozo (Joe Joe, 1993, etc.), an introduction to the square, circle, triangle, rectangle, oval, and diamond. Each one is identified and defined in simple catchy rhymes—bouncy enough to be read aloud—and copiously illustrated with accompanying shapes of all sizes and textures. Cut-paper collages feature bright, anthropomorphized shapes (with very expressive faces) against landscapes suitable for the featured shape. The book is conceived as an entertaining lesson, and concludes with a carefully designed review that makes sense of shapes in an easy and imaginative way. (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-590-54426-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1996
The stars of Ellen and Penguin (1993) are back and this time they have a new baby brother who manages to intrude upon just about everything. He cries when they're trying to listen to a quiet story, he goes wherever they go, and he gets to have Ellen's old mobile over his crib. A spare and perfectly understated text shows how Ellen expresses disgruntlement through Penguin; in Vulliamy's warm watercolors readers and listeners see Penguin through Ellen's eyes, as he accurately reflects her feelings. As part of the design, Ellen seems to recede into the pages when she's unhappy, and fairly burst from the illustration when she's happy. With so many books available about new arrivals in the family, there's still room for one as high-spirited and realistic as this one. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 1-56402-697-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
