Misses the mark.
Readers are invited to follow a morning routine, from getting up all the way to leaving the house.
On the cover a pair of human feet look ready to go into a pair of shiny red boots, but as readers open the book it will not be clear if the main character is human or of the teddy-bear variety. Regardless, this touch-and-feel book starts off by having readers touch the soft furry Teddy. This is just the beginning of a series of confusing discrepancies between text and illustrations. The book seems to ask children to help the main character perform a series of activities, such as getting dressed, holding the handles of a sippy cup, brushing teeth, or pushing and pulling the shiny red boots on. Yet in reality all readers can do is touch and feel the different textures. The only true interactivity is pulling the bed covers back, zipping up a jacket, and opening the door at the end of the book. It is doubtful children will find the zipper easy to operate. An easy-to-miss trail of raised dots starts at the bed and runs along every page until it ends at the beginning of a glittery yellow path on the other side of the front door.
Misses the mark. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: May 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-84643-886-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Child's Play
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Sure to prompt little fingers into joyful action.
A favorite baby-and-toddler activity receives an upbeat celebration that will get those fingers going. Watch out!
The gang of frazzled felines that populate this outing are truly the cat's meow. Based on Boynton's song of the same title, the text is reproduced in a colored, patterned font that amps the energy right up. A forlorn little kitty, paws clasped in front of his body, appears anxious (though slightly intrigued) when a trio of toms encourages him to join in the fun. “Gitchy-gitchy / Goo Gotta / Ready, Set, Go!” It doesn't take long before the cautious cat jumps in on this chorus line with dramatic leaps and fluttering fingers. A little birdie acts as a square-dance caller, enunciating each beat (“Goo bop. / Gitchy-goo bop”). The shaggy, large-nosed felines are tremendously expressive in their synchronized movements and maintain a rollicking pace. “We can tickle high. / We can tickle low. / We can tickle QUICKQUICKQUICK / as fast as we can go!” (Here, the page is filled with iterations of "gitchy gitchy gitchy" in different colors.) At the end, the gang sprawls on the floor, exhausted, after a truly monumental tickle-fest.
Sure to prompt little fingers into joyful action. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: March 16, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7611-6883-6
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: June 12, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An Australian import tackles manners for the very young.
A little girl takes her stuffed cat and rabbit, along with her pet hedgehog, on an idyllic picnic. Each double-page spread sets up a statement or question (“Would you like to hold my hand?") that advances the day's events with an accompanied, expected answer ("Yes, please!"). Brief phrases in direct, appropriate language serve each natural page turn. Though the "Yes, please!" response never changes, the toys and youngster take turns directing and accepting requests. A soft sweetness—there's no hint of saccharine—nurtures the child's maturing independence as she organizes the festivities with absolutely no adult involvement (or any conflict to be seen). Respectful conversations between the preschooler and her friends appear fresh and unforced. The playthings' full-force involvement sets the creative stage; her dressed pals rifle through the basket, nibble on sandwiches and dip their toes in the water. Minimal backgrounds and pastel borders keep the focus on the action at hand. Slight alterations to facial expressions highlight a quiet reflection. A companion piece, I Can Say Thank You, follows a similar route as the friends explore their surroundings.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-61067-037-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
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