A die cut above typical holiday board books.
A trio of children search through egg-shaped board-book pages for a missing Easter egg.
A White tot with shoulder-length red hair, a Black tot with short, curly hair, and a brown-skinned tyke with straight, black hair observe, in the first-person-plural narration, that they have not yet found the golden egg. Readers, however, see it through egg-shaped die cuts that reduce in size as pages are turned. The kids wonder if the egg is in the birdhouse, in the carrot patch, or inside a chocolate bunny. A few more children (racially diverse) join in the hunt along with a yellow chick, a bow-tie–wearing bunny, and other springtime critters. When readers get to the final spread, a gold-foil egg is visible inside the chicken coop—it turns out the chick that has been following along with the children has hidden it there. Companion title The Valentine Is Missing!, also by Platt but illustrated by Anne Passchier, follows a similar premise as racially diverse kids search for their teacher’s missing valentine (she is depicted as a woman of color). Here, a shiny, red heart is visible through the heart-shaped pages. The jewel-toned art style is cheerful, bright, and graphically accessible across both offerings. While the gimmick makes for a playful reading experience for the very young, the hide-and-seek queries may prove confusing to literal-minded toddlers since the object is visible through every hole on the recto.
A die cut above typical holiday board books. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-358-19265-7
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead.
An Easter-themed board-book parody of the traditional nursery rhyme.
Unfortunately, this effort is just as sugary and uninspired as The Itsy Bitsy Snowman, offered by the same pair in 2015. A cheerful white bunny hops through a pastel world to distribute candy and treats for Easter but spills his baskets. A hedgehog, fox, mouse, and various birds come to the bunny’s rescue, retrieving the candy, helping to devise a distribution plan, and hiding the eggs. Then magically, they all fly off in a hot air balloon as the little animals in the village emerge to find the treats. Without any apparent purpose, the type changes color to highlight some words. For very young children every word is new, so highlighting “tiny tail” or “friends” makes no sense. Although the text is meant to be sung, the words don't quite fit the rhythm of the original song. Moreover, there are not clear motions to accompany the text; without the fingerplay movements, this book has none of the satisfying verve of the traditional version.
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5621-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A swell read for the lighthearted. (Board book. 1-3)
The bunnies that inhabit Boynton’s colorful world put on a musical show for the other animals.
The rabbits have taken over the theater. They dance and sing, bragging about their long ears and twitchy noses for the pigs and chickens in the audience. The rhythmic chorus—“We are ten terrific rabbits and we like to dance and sing. / Ten terrific rabbits. We can do almost anything”—is mighty infectious. The author’s trademark wit and humor are on full display as the other animals dress up like bunnies and join the massive grand finale. The barnyard cast forms a musical troupe that amuses and delights. Adults will appreciate the clever sight gags, and small children will appreciate the tasteful boasting and empowering jingle. While it’s not as complete a vehicle for inculcating emergent language skills as many of Boynton’s other books, there’s no denying it’s got verve.
A swell read for the lighthearted. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7611-8060-9
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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