A smartly paced and sweetly drawn story for little readers.
Black Cat and White Cat look for a place to play.
Black Cat lives in a white house, and White Cat lives in a black house. Whenever one tries to visit the other, it disappears. So off they go in search of a new, colorful place to play. The graphics are both high-contrast simple and sophisticated, challenging readers to spot where each cat’s silhouette blends into the background, fusing with negative space. This tale of friendship and play is perfectly aimed at young readers just starting to grasp narrative threads but not quite ready for full-blown stories yet. The board book’s similarities to Silvia Borando’s Black Cat, White Cat (2015) should be noted, but only children’s-book enthusiasts will do a double take. Little readers will adore the clean-cut illustrations and sharply contrasted compositions that burst with color at the book’s end. And who can’t love these little guys? They are adorable as they romp and play.
A smartly paced and sweetly drawn story for little readers. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: June 7, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4926-3781-3
Page Count: 30
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
Clear nonfiction for the very young is hard to come by, and it appears that the Look & Learn series may finally be on...
An exploration of the human body through colorful photos.
Every other double-page spread labels the individual parts on one major area: head, torso, back, arm and leg. Ethnically diverse boy-girl pairs serve as models as arrows point to specific features and captions float nearby. While the book usefully mentions rarely depicted body parts, such as eyebrow, armpit and shin, some of the directional arrows are unclear. The arrow pointing at a girl’s shoulder hits her in the upper arm, and the belly button is hard is distinguish from the stomach (both are concealed by shirts). Facts about the human body (“Guess what? You have tiny hairs in your nose that keep out dirt”) appear on alternating spreads along with photos of kids in action. Baby Animals, another title in the Look & Learn series, uses an identical format to introduce readers to seal pups, leopard cubs, elephant calves, ducklings and tadpoles. In both titles, the final spread offers a review of the information and encourages readers to match baby animals to their parents or find body parts on a photo of kids jumping on a trampoline.
Clear nonfiction for the very young is hard to come by, and it appears that the Look & Learn series may finally be on the right track despite earlier titles that were much too conceptual for the audience. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4263-1483-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: National Geographic
Review Posted Online: April 29, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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A swell read for the lighthearted. (Board book. 1-3)
The bunnies that inhabit Boynton’s colorful world put on a musical show for the other animals.
The rabbits have taken over the theater. They dance and sing, bragging about their long ears and twitchy noses for the pigs and chickens in the audience. The rhythmic chorus—“We are ten terrific rabbits and we like to dance and sing. / Ten terrific rabbits. We can do almost anything”—is mighty infectious. The author’s trademark wit and humor are on full display as the other animals dress up like bunnies and join the massive grand finale. The barnyard cast forms a musical troupe that amuses and delights. Adults will appreciate the clever sight gags, and small children will appreciate the tasteful boasting and empowering jingle. While it’s not as complete a vehicle for inculcating emergent language skills as many of Boynton’s other books, there’s no denying it’s got verve.
A swell read for the lighthearted. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7611-8060-9
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2014
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