The one-page-per-letter format is not new, but here each letter is accompanied by a distinct and unusual piece of verse. Above and below each large, colored woodcut, a rhyme—not always exact—describes that page’s animal. The descriptions are both funny and surprising: “K is for kangaroo. If I’m not mistaken, she has a small pouch, just right to keep cake in.” The child reader is included in the narrative by hypothetical possibilities: “H is for hippo with mouth open wide. You could easily fit a tricycle inside. But then, it might be too yucky to ride.” Adult humor, too, is given a place: “Q is for quail, found in woods dark and tall. But not for too long, they’re building a mall.” The number of lines per rhyme varies a bit, as does the rhythm of each verse; a few are slightly awkward and seem to have the wrong number of syllables. However, their humor overshadows that issue. The illustrations are colored with low intensity, creating an organic feeling that matches the woodcut medium. Animals range from newts to sea urchins to “xog, an unusual pup. I don’t think you’ll see one. I just made him up.” Although an audience over four years will be too old for this genre, new readers of five or six may relish the chance to read these silly rhymes out loud to younger siblings. (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: April 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-06-028823-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There is no real story, but the moving parts are fun, and the illustrations are beautiful.
An interactive egg hunt with turning-wheel and lift-the-flap elements.
This board book begins by directing readers to find the hidden eggs. Each wheel—there are four in all set into the interior pages—has several different eggs on it, and turning it reveals an egg in a little die-cut window. Spinning it further hides the egg behind one of two lift-the-flap panels—two baskets, for example—and readers must guess behind which they’ll find the egg they have chosen to track. A diagram on the back provides instructions for use, likely more helpful to caregivers than to little ones. There is no narrative in this book; it’s simply page after page of different directives along the lines of “Guess which door!” As a result, the focus is really on manipulatives and the illustrations. Fortunately, Kirwan’s spring-themed artwork is gorgeous. The backdrop of each page is flower- and leaf-themed with warm spring hues, echoing the artwork of Eastern European hand-stenciled Easter eggs, two of which appear at the end of the book. The animals, like the smiling snail and mischievous mice, are reminiscent of classic European fairy-tale creatures. The only human in the book is a dark-skinned child with tight, curly hair. The moveable pieces largely work, though at times the necessary white space under the flaps interrupts the illustration awkwardly, as when the child’s hands suddenly develop large oval holes if the spinner is not in the correct position. Overall, it’s more game than book.
There is no real story, but the moving parts are fun, and the illustrations are beautiful. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4521-7457-0
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
For children yearning for an island of their own, deadpan delights await in this tale of somnolent creation.
Before nighttime falls, the objects on an island are in dire need of some direction.
Part of a board-book series that includes Your Forest (2025) and Your Farm (2025), this story places the power of creation into the hands of small children. As Klassen presents each element, he offers readers instructions as to its placement. There’s no mistaking whom these objects belong to. “This is your palm tree. It can go over by the sun.” Slowly, the author/illustrator and young readers work together to build the scene. Plants, a tent, a fire (actually, “a magic fire. It will never go out”), a boat, and a most capricious bird (“he flies away sometimes but he always comes back”) are laid out on the page. Each object has at least one unblinking eye that stares out at readers. When the sun sets, those eyes all close. “Now you can sleep too and think about what you will do there tomorrow.” Sure to spark the imagination and brimming with whimsy, this deceptively simple bedtime story makes readers an active participant in the process of constructing an entire little world.
For children yearning for an island of their own, deadpan delights await in this tale of somnolent creation. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781536230819
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024
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