Adds little to the concept-book shelf.
This introduction to shapes includes a geometric die-cut hole on every page.
The interplay between cutouts results in transformations with every turn of the page. A circle is a hot air balloon on the recto, and on the verso it is transformed into a carriage (complete with white fairy godmother). The brightly colored digital art is accompanied by a one-word caption naming the shape on each page as youngsters meet squares, rectangles, ovals, and diamonds. Many of the images are harmless enough, but the depiction of a tepee with two youngsters dressed in stereotypical Plains Indians’ garb and sitting “Indian style” is quite troubling. Companion title 1 2 3 also utilizes die-cut holes. Pages count up from one to 10, showing four candles, five balloons, six moles, and so on. One small, circular die-cut hole appears on every page in addition to other, often larger ones, but it is not clear why. Often this round hole is incorporated into the art, but on several spreads it is not; why, for instance, does it float above two pencils and four candles, respectively?
Adds little to the concept-book shelf. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0294-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Toddlers celebrating the holiday will enjoy opening this Christmas present again and again.
Maisy, Cousins’ iconic mouse, decorates a Christmas tree with her entourage in this simple holiday offering.
On evergreen-tree–shaped board pages, Cyril the squirrel strings the lights, Charley the crocodile hangs candy canes, Eddie tops the tree with an angel, and more. Featuring bold black lines filled in with highly saturated planes of color, the art is as toddler-friendly and accessible as any of the many Maisy titles that have come before it. The text, drawn in the same thick line as the art, is one declarative sentence per page. The final scene of the gang caroling around the tree, complete with paper crowns from British Christmas crackers, is delightful.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7457-1
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While not groundbreaking in style or substance, these simple titles will nonetheless appeal to those toddlers (or parents)...
A shiny, fairy-tale–themed concept book for toddlers.
Each page presents a pair of opposite concepts, including fast and slow, far and near, small and big, etc. A word for each concept is the only text. While princesses abound, they don’t appear on every spread, though the illustrations do make ample use of royal and fairy-tale motifs and boast, true to the series title, a lot of sparkle. Companion book Colors is done in the same style, devoting a page to each color. The concepts and colors in both titles are clearly depicted, aside from “white”—its page is, confusingly, predominantly silver and blue. While both titles feature primarily Caucasian characters, with the exception of a darker-hued princess illustrating “brown,” they do a bit better in terms of gender, displaying some active female characters, including one princess racing ahead of a prince on horseback (to illustrate fast/slow) and another who has just bested her male opponent on the tennis court (happy/sad).
While not groundbreaking in style or substance, these simple titles will nonetheless appeal to those toddlers (or parents) already besotted with all things stately and sparkly. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4549-1250-7
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
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