A lift-the-flap board book exploring different types of tracks made by people and animals.
Following a simple, repeated format that asks readers to guess “Who is making tracks?” this book for toddlers offers them tactile tracks as clues. Lifting the page-sized flap on recto reveals the track-maker underneath. Each flap has a sweet little peekaboo cutout—acorns, a water bottle—that’s filled with color from the image below, a nice touch. The illustrations themselves are simple and brightly colored, appearing against a solid, contrasting background. While this doesn’t always make for a realistic representation, like the green paw and footprints against a pink ground, it is nevertheless eye-catching. There are several different types of tracks, and the tire and skateboard ones are especially fun to touch. The people represented are diverse: There’s Duli, who is brown-skinned and blind, walking with his service dog, and Su-Yin, an Asian girl on a skateboard. As a thoughtful inclusion on Duli’s page, the “Nature Trail” sign also displays (nonraised) Braille dots. Following a similar format in setup and interactive elements, Farm includes Milo, a white boy riding a pony with an adaptive saddle, and Snow includes Jian, an Asian girl with an adaptive sled. While Beach does not similarly present characters with disabilities, it too includes characters of color. Throughout the series the manipulatives are accessible and unfussy, the illustrations are clear, and the text is age appropriate.
Hits the mark for its inclusiveness and quality of format. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-78628-293-4
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Child's Play
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
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Gorgeous birds amid foliage of similar hues introduce eight basic colors.
The two birds presented on each spread not only are of similar coloration, but also live in the same North American habitat. A scarlet tanager and a cardinal, both male, perch in a red maple tree; a male Eastern bluebird and a blue jay appear with morning glories and blueberries. The name of each color is printed in large font, while the name of each bird is in a much smaller one. Whether the bird shown is male or female, or if the male and female have similar coloring, is also indicated. The names of the trees they perch upon are identified in a note on the back cover. These details will be lost on most toddlers, but caregivers will appreciate being able to answer questions knowledgeably. Colors featured are from the standard box of crayons, except that pink is substituted for purple. Black and white share a spread. The cover image, of a cardinal, goldfinch, and bluebird in a birdbath, is not nearly as inviting as the images within. The final spread shows children (one white, one black, one Asian) assembling a puzzle that includes the same birds. This may serve as a reprise but will probably be skipped over. Bird-loving readers will probably feel that the space could have been put to better use by giving white birds their own page or adding a purple martin.
Useful for toddling birders in need of board books about colors. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: May 2, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-58089-742-6
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: April 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Storytime gets a kick in the pants with this jaunty combo of shapes and vehicles.
In this look at basic geometry via high-resolution photographs of construction trucks, the youngest of readers are introduced to nine different shapes. Using a seek-and-find format, the book encourages them to locate each shape as it appears on a vehicle, clearly delineated with thick, colorful lines. A clear, red triangle decorates the bed of a dump truck; a blue oval surrounds the barrel of a concrete mixer. The rhyming text names the featured equipment, each shot with crystal clarity outdoors on a variety of beautiful days. From the jaunty little red forklift sporting a rectangle on its side to the rhombus of a road sign snapped at an angle, small fingers will have no difficulty tracing each of the featured shapes again and again. Similar in its cadences to Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle (1967), this book is ideal for construction storytimes everywhere. “Road roller / Road roller / Coming through! / I spy a circle— / How about you?” Be sure to sing it to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” if you really want to bring down the house. Activities to further engage young children are included at the end of the book.
Clear, crisp, clean, and concise—trucks and shapes have never before looked (or sounded) this good. (Picture book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77278-134-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Pajama Press
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION
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PERSPECTIVES
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