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HUFF & PUFF

Name: HUFF & PUFF
Author: Claudia Rueda
ISBN: 978-1-4197-0170-2

CAN YOU BLOW DOWN THE HOUSES OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS?

by Claudia Rueda & illustrated by Claudia Rueda ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2012

The opening spread looks plain and ordinary: “First pig building a house,” says the text, as a pig builds a modest thatched...

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This sweet little bare-bones version of “The Three Pigs” places readers in an active role.

The opening spread looks plain and ordinary: “First pig building a house,” says the text, as a pig builds a modest thatched hut. Black pen lines give shading and texture to pale watercolors, surrounded by calming white space. Soon the pig’s inside the hut, gazing happily out the window. But spread three brings an invitation. The left-hand page says, merely, “One wolf huffing and puffing,” and the book’s subtitle is the key here—for there’s no wolf to be seen. The right-hand page says “HUFF & PUFF” in lined block letters, and the ampersand’s lower circle is a cut-out hole. When the reader blows through the hole, the reward is a sad and perturbed pig with loose straw floating down through the air. The reader/wolf blew down the hut! The second pig suffers the same fate. Tradition prevails as the third house, made of brick, is too strong to succumb to air. Does the reader/wolf end up defeated? Nope—Rueda introduces a new result of blowing, one familiar to many toddlers and connected to gustatory joy all around.

Pub Date: March 1, 2012

ISBN: 978-1-4197-0170-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Abrams Appleseed

Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2012

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
REDLOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS
by Claudia Rueda ; illustrated by Claudia Rueda

- BOOK REVIEW
BUNNY OVERBOARD
by Claudia Rueda ; illustrated by Claudia Rueda

- BOOK REVIEW
HUNGRY BUNNY
by Claudia Rueda ; illustrated by Claudia Rueda

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RABBIT PIE

by Penny Ives ; illustrated by Penny Ives ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2013

While the bedtime-as-recipe contrivance may be a little sophisticated for toddlers, the cozy charm within these pages makes...

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A bunny mama helps her six children get ready for bedtime in this British import that was originally published as a full-size picture book.

The first double-page spread summarizes the action ahead, as an ingredient list and the subsequent pages illustrate each stage of the “recipe”: “First, gather together your ingredients. / One game of hide-and-seek / One bath / Six pairs of pyjamas....” Ives’ softly colored art, which looks to be watercolor, is the true attraction here. From hiding in plain sight to squirting toothpaste all over the bathroom, the antics of these chubby bunnies are recognizably toddlerlike. While their mother’s saintly patience is a bit unrealistic, she’s a comforting presence in her blue, polka-dot dress and pristine apron. The shrunken trim size diminishes the quality of the smaller details, but there are enough delightful images here to make it work reasonably well as a board book.

While the bedtime-as-recipe contrivance may be a little sophisticated for toddlers, the cozy charm within these pages makes for a comforting lap read. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)

Pub Date: June 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-84643-513-3

Page Count: 22

Publisher: Child's Play

Review Posted Online: May 28, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2013

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
CELESTINE, DRAMA QUEEN
by Penny Ives

- BOOK REVIEW
MRS. SANTA CLAUS
by Penny Ives & illustrated by Penny Ives

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AT THE BEACH

by Elizabeth Spurr ; illustrated by Manelle Oliphant ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2013

While the youngster was pleasingly more self-reliant and self-assured in previous offerings, his play and his interactions...

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As in In the Garden and In the Woods (both 2012), a young boy enjoys life in the great outdoors.

Here, he delights in a day at the beach. One, two or three words on each page make up the rhyming text: “Sun Sky / Shore Boy // Sand Pail / Spade Toy.” The youngster makes a sand birthday cake with his shovel and pail, but an inevitable wave destroys it. His mother, nearby, comforts him with a picnic lunch and a “Lap Nap” as he dreams of the sea. Oliphant’s soft drawings, which look to be a mix of watercolor and colored pencil, capture the flow of sand and water well, though beach-going children will wonder at the pair’s solitude on this apparently perfect summer day.

While the youngster was pleasingly more self-reliant and self-assured in previous offerings, his play and his interactions with the natural world continue to ring true. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)