An agreeable book to entice space enthusiasts as well as animal lovers.
A bevy of zoo animals takes off for the moon.
Endpapers show a group of animals rushing toward a rocket ship, and then the story follows them page by page as they blast off into space. The text is playful, if a bit forced, with a question-and-answer format that allows the illustrations to support textual responses to queries: “Puffin flies in. / Cockatoo, too. / Which gear to get here? / ZOO MOON! ZOO MOON!” typifies the pattern. The accompanying digital illustration shows the puffin and cockatoo at the rocket’s control board, but it also includes animals from the prior spreads, which creates a cumulative visual effect that continues throughout the book. It’s notable that the animals included aren’t all familiar ones—branching out from the common lions, elephants, giraffes, and so on, this book instead includes not just a puffin and a cockatoo, but a kiwi and a pronghorn among other exotic choices. The animals’ cooperative effort to reach the moon fails, alas, with worries of “ZOO DOOM!” and sightings of “ZOO FUMES!” The animals safely return to the space center to plan for and dream about the next time they can (try to) zoom to the moon.
An agreeable book to entice space enthusiasts as well as animal lovers. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-6196-3357-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2015
For toddlers unafraid of typical Halloween imagery.
A troop of cats traverse a spooky landscape as they make their way to a party hosted by ghosts.
Each double-page spread shows the felines’ encounters with the likes of an owl, jack-o’-lanterns or a bat. One or two of these creepy meetings may be too abstract for the youngest readers, as the cats hear eerie noises with no discernible source on the page. The text, which consists of one rhyming couplet per scene, mostly scans despite a couple of wobbles: “Five black cats get a bit of a scare / As the flip-flapping wings of a bat fill the air.” The sleek, slightly retro art, likely created using a computer, depicts the cats cavorting at night through a shadowy cityscape, the countryside and a haunted house; they may scare some toddlers and delight others. A brighter color palette would have given the project a friendlier, more universal appeal. Luckily, the well-lit, final party scene provides a playful conclusion.
For toddlers unafraid of typical Halloween imagery. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-58925-611-8
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
A satisfying friendship story to share with very young children in the days leading up to Halloween.
This board book twists the traditional “Teeny Tiny” tale into a less-scary Halloween treat.
This version uses a singsong-y rhythm and cadence to tell the story. “In the teeny tiny barn / Of a teeny tiny house... / Lived a teeny tiny ghost / and a teeny tiny mouse.” Of course the ghost (being teeny tiny) is not very frightening. “But the determined little ghost / Let her mighty courage through / And with a teeny tiny breath / She said a teeny tiny: boo.” Spoiler alert: After just seven page turns the ghost and mouse become friends: “And now the teeny tinies play / In the teeny tiny house. / Just a teeny tiny ghost / And her best friend, mouse.” Pumpkins decorate the cover and final spread and illustrations throughout are in autumnal hues. The fairly high-for-the-format word count—19 to 21 words per page—may be more than toddlers will sit still for, but the “teeny tiny” repetition and rhymes will help. The size (just 6 inches square) makes using the book with a group a challenge, but with a lap-sitting child, it’ll be a pleasure.
A satisfying friendship story to share with very young children in the days leading up to Halloween. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 30, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-31848-7
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
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