Winsome glimpses of the natural world throughout the year.
A look at animals in their various habitats throughout the seasons.
This book of haiku subtly draws readers’ attention to the action on each page, starting with the coldest season: “in white winter coats / long-eared friends play hide-and-seek / moon says, ‘I see you!’ ” The accompanying image shows hares frolicking in the moonlight. The story slowly shifts between seasons, from winter’s snow to the rain of spring to warm, breezy summer to, finally, autumnal leaves. Readers meet playful otters, a sea turtle laying eggs, squirrels searching for acorns, and more; along the way, a pair of mice can be seen interacting with the different animals. The haiku are lovely read-alouds, full of alliteration and descriptive language and imagery. The thoughtfulness of the writing sets this one apart. The palette shifts to mark each change, the final layout a gorgeous blend of nighttime blues and purples. Each lift of the flap creates a peekaboo effect revealing a surprise animal to readers, the haiku a clue about what’s beneath. The animals are charming without being overly cartoonish or anthropomorphized. This is a title both caregivers and children will enjoy revisiting. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Winsome glimpses of the natural world throughout the year. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Feb. 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66592-646-1
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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