Overall, disappointing.
A bunny, a kitten, a puppy, and a chick travel along lightly textured, color-coded “finger trails” displayed against white backgrounds in this busy addition to the Follow the Trail series.
An introductory spread instructs, “Use your finger to follow the trails,” while text points out when the path proceeds straight, loops, or zigzags. Shapes the reader will encounter on later pages are introduced, as well as the die-cut circle that foreshadows the animal that will be featured on the next page, a semiregular feature. The final spread serves as review, with the ribbons of color entwined. The four spreads in between—one for each animal—are dotted with animal facts and words of encouragement along the path that each animal follows to reach its toy or food. Some words in bold give directions; others are nouns, adjectives, and the animal’s sounds. Each animal is represented by a mix of photos and small graphics along its colored path. Farm, published simultaneously, uses the same formula to introduce a tractor, a hen and chicks, a cow and sheep, and piglets. With minimal information, these board books are unlikely to engage beginning readers, while the surfeit of required skills, confusing layout, and complex vocabulary are not appropriate for kids who need sturdy board books.
Overall, disappointing. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4654-6562-7
Page Count: 14
Publisher: DK Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
Ho-hum.
A riff on the familiar lullaby depicts various animal parents, and then a human father, soothing their sleepy little ones.
An opening spread includes the traditional first verse of the titular lullaby, but instead of depicting a human baby in a treetop cradle, the accompanying illustration shows a large tree as habitat to the animals that are highlighted on subsequent pages. First the perspective zooms in on a painterly illustration rendered in acrylics of a mother squirrel cuddling her baby with text reading “Rock-a-bye Squirrel, / high in the tree, / in Mommy’s arms, / cozy as can be.” In this spread and others the cadence doesn’t quite fit with the familiar tune, and repeated verses featuring different animals—all opening with the “Rock-a-bye” line—don’t give way to the resolution. No winds blow, no boughs break, and the repetitive forced rhythm of the verse could cause stumbles when attempting a read-aloud. The final image of a human father and baby, whose skin tone and hair texture suggest that they are perhaps of South Asian descent, provides pleasing visual resolution in a book with art that outshines text.
Ho-hum. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3753-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: June 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
An excellent starter book for those looking to raise their children in a bilingual environment.
Niñas y niños learn their ABCs en español.
A is for ardilla (squirrel) and E is for erizo (hedgehog) in this pastel-colored board book. Each page features a different animal or object with a large, scratchily drawn uppercase letter in the top-left corner. (All the text appears to be hand-drawn and frequently displays irregular use of upper- and lowercase conventions.) The upper-right corner of the page spotlights the item’s Spanish and English names, with Spanish printed large on top and English in a smaller hand beneath. The illustrations are warm and sweet, presenting rounded, friendly figures colored with pastel hues. Even inanimate objects, such as the wafle (waffle) and the uvas (grapes), are given smiling faces and welcoming body language. There are separate entries for N for “niña/niño” (“girl/boy”) and Ñ for ñu (translated as “wildebeest” rather than “gnu”). It appears that X (xilófono) and Y (yak) are as troublesome for abecederaries in Spanish as in English. After the alphabet is finished, the backmatter provides the pronunciation of each letter for non–Spanish speakers and phonetic spelling for each creature along with the further introduction of the sounds ll, ch, and rr. The book is handsomely bound in faux hardcover style, boasting sturdy pages and smooth textures.
An excellent starter book for those looking to raise their children in a bilingual environment. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 10, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-63322-283-0
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Walter Foster Jr.
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
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