A decent, durable first Halloween book.
Halloween gets the touchy-feely treatment in this simple, textured introduction to the holiday.
Stock photos, elementary artwork, glitter, fur, foil, and unrhymed text give baby an uncomplicated introduction to some familiar sights of late October. What this book lacks in artistic inspiration it may make up in practical utility; it’s meant to be touched, and it’s built to withstand rough handling. The cover photo, a jack-o’-lantern, is soft and squishy, and the pages are stiff and sturdy—easily turned but tough to tear, crease, or remove. Images are Halloween-themed but not frightening. A cute, black kitten peers over a carved pumpkin with a friendly grin that invites young fingers to trace its features: “Peekaboo! It’s Halloween.” On the next page, “Kitty says, ‘Meow!’ ” and children can touch its soft fur. A two-page spread features a toy witch stirring a cauldron of potion and then a close-up of her sticky, green brew. The potion’s tacky texture is an interesting tactile experience, but the wisdom of encouraging children to touch the side of the witch’s cooking vessel on the preceding page seems questionable. The toy witch and wizard look white, but two real-life trick-or-treaters (a wizard and a witch) are children of color. Bats, the moon, candy, a treat bucket, an owl, and the kitten in a witch’s hat also appear.
A decent, durable first Halloween book. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4654-6235-0
Page Count: 14
Publisher: DK Publishing
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
An excellent, rounded effort from a creator who knows how to deliver.
The farmyard's chickens experience Halloween.
A round, full moon shines in the sky, and the chickens of Boynton's barnyard are feeling “nervous.” Pumpkins shine “with flickering eyes,” witches and wizards wander the pastures, and one chicken has seen “a mouse of enormous size.” It’s Halloween night, and readers will delight as the chickens huddle together and try to figure out what's going on. All ends well, of course, and in Boynton's trademark silly style. (It’s really quite remarkable how her ranks of white, yellow-beaked chickens evoke rows of candy corn.) At this point parents and children know what they're in for when they pick up a book by the prolific author, and she doesn't disappoint here. The chickens are silly, the pigs are cute, and the coloring and illustrations evoke a warmth that little ones wary of Halloween will appreciate. For children leery of the ghouls and goblins lurking in the holiday's iconography, this is a perfect antidote, emphasizing all the fun Halloween has to offer.
An excellent, rounded effort from a creator who knows how to deliver. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7611-9300-5
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Exactly what readers want and expect from the board-book master.
Pookie and family celebrate Thanksgiving.
Boynton’s precocious little pig is back in this holiday installment. The family gets ready for Thanksgiving by baking pies, welcoming Nemmy and Boppa for dinner, and sharing gratitude (and pie!). Boynton’s familiar rhyming text and simple, thick-lined illustrations are exactly what readers have come to expect from this series: Pookie is a little silly, the story bounces along, and the artwork is warm and cozy. Though most of the action takes place inside, the passage of day is clear through the window, from daylight to the setting sun. Decorations and a tree with just a few leaves on it indicate the autumnal season. There are two pages where numbers are called out, presented differently from the rest of the typeface (Pookie and their parents prepare apple pie and one pumpkin pie, and there will be five guests at dinner). The only bolded digits are one and five, even though the text does mention that there will be a total of two pies—a stylistic choice that seems to point readers to counting practice but that feels a bit random. Overall, though, this is a worthy new story about one of Boynton’s most beloved characters. True to form, it’s a toddler-friendly read, providing context for the festivities and a sweet representation of gratitude. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Exactly what readers want and expect from the board-book master. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66592-263-0
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Boynton Bookworks
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
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