MacLennan’s appealing cover immediately grabs attention with five, bright yellow chicks jigging against a brown background. Composed of rhyming sounds, the visual narrative depicts yellow chicks, golden bees and striped kitty-cats as they play, nap and get drenched by raindrops. Preschoolers will respond to the motion-filled images and the fuzzy shapes, though some spreads require distance to distinguish the players. The rhythm breaks flow at times with some blips in rhyme, e.g. “Splitter, splatter. Wet. Wet. Wetter.” But the charm lies in the illustrations: vivid yellow, orange, green and black/white stripes against the brown textured paper. One oddity is the black-beaded eyes on all the figures; one of the pair is often spatially unattached from the head, appearing to float. The quirky style may elicit questions from kids, though it’s not unattractive. The large type and elongated format add appeal and invite reading aloud and participation. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: March 20, 2007
ISBN: 1-905417-40-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2007
BOOK REVIEW
Archer offers a little book of baby rhymes with a feeling of the past. It’s hard to resist “Giggles”—“Wiggle my ears / And wiggle my nose, / ’Cause wiggles make giggles— / That’s how it goes.” Dad, Mom, PapPap and big brother all make appearances as the verse, always in Baby’s voice, addresses shadows, first steps, making messes, taking a bath and other baby events. Wakiyama’s pictures, generally on ivory backgrounds, use vintage colors, Kewpie-doll faces and ’40s-inspired motifs to cheery effect. A few full-page images add texture—for instance, father and child in a lemon-yellow convertible with the seats full of groceries and flowers as they drive along an ocean-side road. Some of the rhymes have a bit of clunky awkwardness, but the whole is a pretty, old-fashioned package. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: June 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-7636-2467-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2007
The poems in this sampling of international verse originate from all over the globe, including countries such as Poland, Iran, France, China and the United States. The lively poems and songs are accompanied by Chorao’s colorful paintings, which feature her trademark joyful, round-faced tots in a variety of dynamic scenarios and landscapes. A hodgepodge of child-friendly topics are addressed, from tickling and birthdays to elephants and the rain. Source notes would have been a nice addition, as the credits are somewhat inconsistent. Most verses are attributed to a country or continent, some list an author or are labeled anonymous or traditional, while another is an “old jingle,” with no explanation provided for how the designation was made. Children may not get a clear picture of how these countries and places vary—the emphasis is more on the universal than the particular—but they will come away with the realization that children all around the world play, dance, appreciate flowers, look at the sky—and say goodnight (the illustration includes a translation in 18 languages). (Picture book/poetry. 3-5)
Pub Date: March 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-525-47875-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2009
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