Bouncer’s story is busy and slightly confusing, but it’s pleasant enough.
Bouncer the bunny is a picky eater who knows what she likes in the latest entry in the Pick Me Up! series.
Five somewhat confused-looking bunnies star in a light entertainment for toddlers that might have been subtitled, “Quest for Carrots.” Like the other Pick Me Up! books, this volume’s pages are die cut to resemble a pet carrier, with a handle at the top and the hungry protagonist peering through a window. If the handle promotes extra handling and reading by kids, that is all to the good. The plot is simple: Bouncer is hungry, but, when offered hay, sprouts, and spinach by her rabbit friends, she turns up her nose, holding out for carrots. Fortunately for Bouncer, the whole affair ends in a picnic lunch complete with an enormous, crunchy carrot. Artist Hare (yes, Hare) creates collages combining stock photos, swatches of color, and simple graphics. The rabbits’ expressions don’t vary much, although one startling close-up of Bouncer bears a passing resemblance to internet sensation Grumpy Cat. The primary text is rhymed across two-page spreads, with awkward meter and inconsistent syllable counts from line to line and couplet to couplet. Bunny dialogue appears in word balloons; there are chewing sound effects as well. Therefore, the first reading feels a bit clumsy; caregivers may find that reading narrative, then dialogue, then sound effects works best.
Bouncer’s story is busy and slightly confusing, but it’s pleasant enough. (Board book. 18 mos.-4)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4654-6332-6
Page Count: 12
Publisher: DK Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 21, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.
Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.
This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-93809-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
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Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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