An a-peeling alphabet adventure.
This anthropomorphic banana is NOT ready for bed.
The protagonist of Counting to Bananas (2022) returns to explore the alphabet. “A is for awake,” announces the narrator. “B is for bedtime.” But our hero wants B to be for banana; the narrator points out that this is a bedtime book. Banana is not having any of that and suggests that C should be for Banana (Captain Banana the pirate, that is). Still, Banana bathes (“D is for Dirty”), uses the potty (“G is for Going”), and brushes their teeth (“I is for Incisors”)…but when the narrator announces “L is for Listening,” Banana has finally had enough and takes over, pencil in hand, and crosses out all the bedtime words, replaces them with more playful fare, and acts each out in Banana-edited illustrations. Q isn’t for quiet but quarterback. R isn’t for relax but robot. Humoring Banana, the narrator announces that “S is for Scary,” as in stories. Banana backs down, frightened, and the bedtime words return and end with one “zonked” Banana. Exuberant Banana has as much fun taking control of the alphabet as they did taking over counting. Lourenço returns with digitally created illustrations full of Banana’s bonkers energy and plenty of color. Speech balloons are used throughout as Banana argues with the narrator. Banana might end up tuckered out, but little listeners will probably be supercharged with giggles. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An a-peeling alphabet adventure. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: April 11, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-52806-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.
A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.
A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
Ideal for any community where children count.
A difficult concept is simply and strikingly illustrated for the very youngest members of any community, with a counting exercise to boot.
From the opening invitation, “Living in community, / it's a lot of FUN! / Lets count the ways. / Lets start with ONE,” Nagaro shows an urban community that is multicultural, supportive, and happy—exactly like the neighborhoods that many families choose to live and raise their children in. Text on every other page rhymes unobtrusively. Unlike the vocabulary found in A Is for Activist (2013), this book’s is entirely age-appropriate (though some parents might not agree that picketing is a way to show “that we care”). In A Is for Activist, a cat was hidden on each page; this time, finding the duck is the game. Counting is almost peripheral to the message. On the page with “Seven bikes and scooters and helmets to share,” identifying toys in an artistic heap is confusing. There is only one helmet for five toys, unless you count the second helmet worn by the girl riding a scooter—but then there are eight items, not seven. Seven helmets and seven toys would have been clearer. That quibble aside, Nagara's graphic design skills are evident, with deep colors, interesting angles, and strong lines, in a mix of digital collage and ink.
Ideal for any community where children count. (Board book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-60980-632-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Triangle Square Books for Young Readers
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
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