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GOODNIGHT, CHAMELEON!

Name: GOODNIGHT, CHAMELEON!
Author: Clive McFarland
ISBN: 978-1-68464-059-1

illustrated by Clive McFarland ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2020

A sweet book; adults will appreciate its durability, kids its familiarity.

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Chameleon plays one final game of hide-and-seek with his friends before bedtime.

In this lift-the–felt-flap board book, readers join in on the fun helping Chameleon uncover his fellow animal and bug friends before settling in for the night. Each page asks who’s hiding, and some also include a little sneak peek appearing from below the flap: a curl of a tongue, the tip of a wing, an arm. The flaps themselves are made from stiff pieces of felt, certainly sturdier than paper versions. They are printed with designs such as the veins of a leaf or details like bugs crawling up a tree. These thoughtful embellishments set the book apart from other felt-flap books. McFarland’s illustrations appear almost like collage, featuring chunky cut shapes and large-scale details. Chameleon changes color to match each hiding animal, a nice touch that some little readers might catch. The night-sky background changes as the book progresses, modulating from blues through purples to black. It’s a simple, subtle way to walk readers toward Chameleon’s bedtime, when he curls up on a branch to sleep at last. The text is less distinguished than the illustrations, and, disappointingly, the text on the final page is placed in a way that announces the end of the search before readers have uncovered the last animal.

A sweet book; adults will appreciate its durability, kids its familiarity. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-68464-059-1

Page Count: 6

Publisher: Kane Miller

Review Posted Online: July 27, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
THE FOX AND THE WILD
by Clive McFarland ; illustrated by Clive McFarland

- BOOK REVIEW
ONE LEAF, TWO LEAVES, COUNT WITH ME!
by John Micklos ; illustrated by Clive McFarland

- BOOK REVIEW
CATERPILLAR DREAMS
by Clive McFarland ; illustrated by Clive McFarland

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SPOOKY POOKIE

by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 7, 2015

A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.

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One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.

It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.

A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: July 7, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-553-51233-5

Page Count: 18

Publisher: Robin Corey/Random

Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
HIPPOS REMAIN CALM
by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton

- BOOK REVIEW
WOO HOO! YOU'RE DOING GREAT!
by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton

- BOOK REVIEW
HAPPY EASTER, LITTLE POOKIE
by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton

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LLAMA LLAMA TRICK OR TREAT

From the Llama Llama series

by Anna Dewdney ; illustrated by Anna Dewdney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 19, 2014

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In this board book designed for the littlest llama lovers, adorable-as-ever Llama Llama (Llama Llama Red Pajama, 2005, etc.) gets ready for some Halloween fun.

Dewdney’s characteristic spare, apt rhymes convey a lot of action in effortlessly readable fashion. A charming and simple introduction to Halloween and its associated activities, this title finds little Llama Llama choosing and carving a pumpkin, pouring candy into bowls, picking out a costume and, finally, trick-or-treating. The costume Llama Llama decides to don—pointy teeth and a black mask and cape—is enough to frighten and fool his friends but not readers, who will immediately recognize and smile at the silly little mini-Dracula. With Dewdney’s characters as expressive as ever, young readers will be drawn right into the holiday fun, eagerly anticipating which costume Llama Llama will choose and excited to see him scare his friends and score some candy at trick-or-treat. In the equally appealing companion title, Llama Llama Jingle Bells,the little fellow gets ready for Christmas, baking and decorating some cookies in anticipation of Santa’s arrival. This simple holiday title will win Llama Llama new fans, and old friends will want to add it and its companion to their collections. (Board book. 1-2)