Another branded entry that offers little beyond the minimum requirements.
The Pout-Pout Fish brand expands.
Halloween is here, and Mr. Pout-Pout Fish is giving out treats from his submarine home. Those familiar with the blue striped fish will find the usual uncluttered illustrations and rhyming scheme (“Who’s at the helm / of the spooky submarine? // It’s you, Mr. Fish! / Have a happy Halloween!”). New readers may be drawn in by the colorful costumes the various fish wear as they trick-or-treat along the ocean floor. Keen-eyed readers with some pumpkin-carving experience may wonder how a jack-o’-lantern can be lit under water. This board book is a fairly standard look at Halloween, putting a popular character in common holiday trappings and adding nothing else. Fans of the holiday will have to look elsewhere for a more exciting take on Halloween’s thrills.
Another branded entry that offers little beyond the minimum requirements. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-374-30191-0
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An unseen narrator asks a monkey, a fish, a turtle, a frog and a bird a simple question: “How do you move?” The animals...
A playful exploration of animal movements animated by lift-the-flap technology.
An unseen narrator asks a monkey, a fish, a turtle, a frog and a bird a simple question: “How do you move?” The animals answer with an “I” statement: “I climb!,” “I swim!,” etc. Although rounded corners would have been ideal, the easy-to-open flaps blend in nicely with the rest of the page. Better yet, as the flaps open, each animal’s movements animate, flip-book fashion. The frog appears to jump and the birds fly as the flaps are opened and closed. Slegers’ paintings, in fully saturated hues and with thick outlines, present cartoon animals in a simplified environment. Surprise, also by Slegers, uses strong colors as well and the same bold line, but here, animal mothers are asked where their babies are hiding, and the flaps, without the animation special effect, reveal the answer.Pub Date: July 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1605371184
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: Dec. 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2012
Developmentally dull; there's nothing to cheer about here.
This box proves a bust.
The long case holds four separate books; two focus on animals living on the farm and the savanna, and the others describe pets and babies. Cartoon panels provide factual tidbits. The text, though for the most part accurate, lacks the energy to inspire a young audience. “The male duck is called a drake.” An imposing photograph appears opposite the panels, containing a circle cutout with material meant to provide a tactile experience of the animal. (The gimmick often fails; the baby panda’s coat is virtually indistinguishable from the penguin chick’s fuzzy feathers). A caption supplies the appropriate sound (“The lion roars”). Unfortunately, the photographs consistently fail to convey any sense of sound; if an animal's mouth is open, it is to eat or play (the lion cub appears more interested in gnawing on a stick than making any noise at all). Poor quality of materials (foam for the pink pig) makes for a lackluster tactile experience. The touch-and-feel design leads to comically contradictory statements; the back of the container encourages this format for “young toddlers,” while a concluding note reads, “not suitable for children under 36 months.”
Developmentally dull; there's nothing to cheer about here. (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: April 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-2-7338-1820-6
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Auzou Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 29, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
