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SITTING

Definitely worth getting

A bemused teddy bear illustrates 15 ways to sit.

Energy, humor, and flawless design provide just enough information to engage toddlers. On the left-hand page, bold black type stands out against a white background. On the right, uncluttered illustrations effectively position patterns and primary colors against solid backgrounds. Scenes alternate between familiar and fanciful situations. Though the bear’s mouth rarely changes, subtle shifts of the eyes make its face surprisingly expressive, whether it’s waiting for a hot drink to cool, relaxing in an inflatable pool, or peering glumly from under an umbrella. Minor changes to the bear’s wardrobe add details about each activity. When “sitting in the garden” surrounded by flowers, the bear sports a broad-brimmed hat, but when “sitting in a car,” it wears a racer’s cap and natty striped scarf. A white sailor hat is appropriate for “sitting in a boat”; a white-and-yellow–striped shirt both complements and contrasts with the blue-and-white–striped sail. An arm draped around a companion bunny makes the more-abstract concept “sitting with a friend” clear. Going, which publishes simultaneously, features the same gentle humor, with the bear “going fast” (on a skateboard), “slow” (on a turtle), “to the doctor” (with both lollipop and thermometer), “to the bathroom,” etc.

Definitely worth getting . (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-06-279630-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: HarperFestival

Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019

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SPOOKY POOKIE

A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.

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:
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THE ABCS OF LOVE

Perfect for Valentine’s Day, but the syrupy sweetness will cloy after the holiday.

Animal parents declare their love for their offspring in alphabetical order.

Each page displays an enormous capital letter, one line of verse with the keyword capitalized, and a loving nonhuman parent gazing adoringly at their baby. “A is for Always. I always love you more. / B is for Butterfly kisses. It’s you that I adore.” While not named or labelled as such, the A is also for an alligator and its hatchling and B is for a butterfly and a butterfly child (not a caterpillar—biology is not the aim of this title) interacting in some way with the said letter. For E there are an elephant and a calf; U features a unicorn and foal; and X, keyed to the last letter of the animal’s name, corresponds to a fox and three pups. The final double-page spread shows all the featured creatures and their babies as the last line declares: “Baby, I love you from A to Z!” The verse is standard fare and appropriately sentimental. The art is cartoony-cute and populated by suitably loving critters on solid backgrounds. Hearts accent each scene, but the theme of the project is never in any doubt.

Perfect for Valentine’s Day, but the syrupy sweetness will cloy after the holiday. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-7282-2095-6

Page Count: 28

Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland

Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021

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