by Deborah Lee Rose ; illustrated by Dan Andreasen ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 7, 2013
There will never be a magic book that puts every child to sleep, but this hushed cadence is certain to soothe.
A quiet rhyme follows a little girl through her nighttime routine.
The yawns begin on the very first page and are contagious. A little girl, her puppy, a toy and even the picture on the wall all have their mouths stretched wide open: “Stardust sky and silver moon / Someone’s sleepy / Bedtime soon.” She takes a bath, puts on her pajamas, brushes her teeth and gets tucked in tight. The lulling text highlights different parts of the body, prompting parents to gently touch each part (maybe even with a kiss) during sweet bedtime read-alouds. “Sleepy shoulders / Sleepy knees / Sleepy through-the-window breeze. // Sleepy teeth and sleepy lips / Sleepy toes and fingertips.” Warm jewel tones and cozy crosshatching, along with heavy lids and those oh-so-realistic yawns, give Andreasen’s illustrations a comfort just right for bedtime.
There will never be a magic book that puts every child to sleep, but this hushed cadence is certain to soothe. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: May 7, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4197-0539-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2013
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by Maria van Lieshout ; illustrated by Maria van Lieshout ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 8, 2016
Simple words and big concepts will make this a godsend to parents at their wit's end.
This book seeks to use the power of persuasion to vanquish that most formidable of opponents: toddlers.
In this entry in the Big Kid Power series, a little black girl makes no bones about the fact that pacifiers (or “binkies”) are strictly baby territory. When she was little she needed one, but that was then. Whether she’s tired, sad, or hungry, there are other ways of being comforted: hugs and polite requests, for instance. After she gives her binky to a baby and bids it a very clear goodbye, the book ends with a triumphant, “I’M A BIG KID!” Using a striking color combination of orange, brown, and black, van Lieshout keeps her pages bold and bright, complementing the simple vocabulary. Such declarations as, “Do I still have a binky? // NO, BIG KIDS DON’T NEED A BINKY. / NOPE!” leave scant wiggle room for argument. In her author’s note at the end, van Lieshout says that after speaking to many parents about how they helped their kids bid their pacifiers adieu, “many of them had in common…a ritual of some sort.” The ritual here seems to be giving the pacifier away, though it may be missed by many readers. Companion title I Use the Potty uses a similar approach, with a proud, white boy as its guide.
Simple words and big concepts will make this a godsend to parents at their wit's end. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 8, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4521-3536-6
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2016
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by Maria van Lieshout ; illustrated by Maria van Lieshout
by Maria van Lieshout ; illustrated by Maria van Lieshout
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by Maria van Lieshout ; illustrated by Maria van Lieshout
BOOK REVIEW
by Maria van Lieshout ; illustrated by Maria van Lieshout
BOOK REVIEW
by Maria van Lieshout ; illustrated by Maria van Lieshout
by Larissa Hopwood & Yvonne Kusters ; illustrated by Luke Flowers ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 3, 2016
Leave this on the shelf and take the kids outside to really move.
An interactive board book promises a variety of experiences.
A book that gets kids up and moving sounds like a great idea. The half-circle cutout of the spine and large handle formed by another die cut on the right side are intriguing. Unfortunately, the rhyming instructions for using the book as an exercise prop are confusing. Even adults will find themselves puzzled when told to “paddle the floor,” or to “hang on the handles. Step over the book. / You're a turtle in its shell! Go peek out and look.” The busy pictures shift perspective according to each scenario presented but give few visual clues. For example, the only hint of a dinosaur on the page where readers are told to “put this book to your mouth and let out a roar” like a dinosaur are the teeth that line the edges of what is meant to be a gaping maw. It’s not always obvious whether the book is meant to be facing readers or turned away from them, adding another layer of confusion. Furthermore, many of the instructions run counter to how young children are typically taught to treat books, as when they are told to step on it and then waddle or to lift it with their feet. The relatively thin board pages and weak handles will soon be torn by normal handling; following the directions in the text will only hasten the destruction.
Leave this on the shelf and take the kids outside to really move. (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 3, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7611-8733-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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