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TO THE CAT-CAR!

From the PJ Masks series

For fans of PJ Masks only.

Catboy shows off the Cat-Car.

Catboy, a character from the preschool animated TV program PJ Masks, fights crime with his friends Owlette and Gekko. (All are light-skinned.) The trio cruise around in the Cat-Car, a vehicle with lots of special tricks under the hood. This board book explores all the Cat-Car can do, including the Cat Roar, Super Cat Speed, and Cat-A-Pult jumping power. As the crime-fighting trio saves the day, little readers can fiddle with the small wheels of the Cat-Car positioned at the bottom of the book. The book’s text is only mildly engaging, selling the car above all else in the effort to get little ones to bug their adults to buy a Cat-Car toy. The illustrations are rendered in the style of the TV show with little regard for composition or flow. Fans of PJ Masks will be thrilled to read about the supervehicle, but those unfamiliar with this particular Disney property will be left out in the cold.

For fans of PJ Masks only. (Board book. 2-3)

Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-4814-8725-2

Page Count: 12

Publisher: Simon Spotlight

Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017

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BEAR'S UNDERWEAR MYSTERY

From the Count-and-Find-It Adventure series

This awkward attempt to force underwear out into the open will likely please many toddlers but few of their grown-ups.

This celebration of briefs (not boxers) leaves little to the imagination.

Bear receives an envelope inviting him to follow a trail of undergarments. His journey leads him deep into the dark woods, and even under the kitchen sink, in search of these undies. The final clue takes him to a disco, where blocky, big-eyed, SpongeBob SquarePants–like characters don their recently recovered underpants. A hairy monster with polka-dot briefs, jagged teeth and bare feet balances a bunny and porcupine in either hand and serves as the unusual party's host. “Welcome to FUN-TO-WEAR, / a party about underwear! / Here's every pattern / and every pair. / Count all Ten and shout: / HOORAY FOR BEAR!” Tabbed, numbered pages help readers keep track of the corresponding clothing. Tabs, text bubbles and backgrounds are all color-coordinated with the various undies. Any substantial plot or character development is sacrificed to the gleeful celebration of tightywhities (or stripies, or plaidies or swirlies).

This awkward attempt to force underwear out into the open will likely please many toddlers but few of their grown-ups. (Board book. 2-3)

Pub Date: May 29, 2012

ISBN: 978-1-60905-204-1

Page Count: 18

Publisher: Blue Apple

Review Posted Online: June 12, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012

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WHERE ARE YOU, BLUE?

From the Dot Town series

Utterly charming.

All the Dots in Dot Town gather for a swell meal, but one of their number is missing.

Pink Dot has invited all the Dots over to her house for the evening, but the Dots quickly discover Blue Dot is missing. Pink calls Blue and learns he is simply running late, but the message is garbled, and the other Dots conceive elaborate scenarios that Blue Dot may be taking part in. It’s all conveyed in toddler-friendly rhyme. Hearing that he plans to arrive soon, one Dot thinks Blue has gone to the moon; two others think that Blue has gone off with pirates “on a boat” or has turned farmer “with a cow and a goat.” Eventually Blue arrives, and the party carries on. Little readers will delight at the silly things the Dots imagine. The Dots are just that: warmly colored dots with limbs, rudimentary features, and distinctive hair or hats. Soft pastels bring the fantastic scenes to life, ranging from the ballet to the circus and the farm to the beach. Repeat reads will be infinitely rewarding.

Utterly charming. (Board book. 2-3)

Pub Date: July 28, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-4814-3589-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016

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