The delights of snow-day snow-play in a small town are enumerated in this early concept book for tots.
Snow falls overnight. In early morning, one puppy barks and two small children wake up. All three smile as they look out the window onto the snow-covered grass. Rhyming text sets a gentle pace as they venture outside: The humans pull on four boots, then the trio pulls their sled past five pine trees. In this childcentric tale (no adults in sight), they are soon joined by a diverse cast of six friends eager to sled, make snow angels, and build snowmen. (The two protagonist children have light-brown skin and straight, blue hair.) The spelled-out numbers appear in large colorful type, but numerals are not included—a lapse. Blue and white dominate the wintry palette, and the white landscape gives readers’ eyes plenty of space to focus on the items named and counted. A cozy feel is created by a series of soft, rounded shapes: puppy’s bed, children’s heads, snowballs, and pond. As the activities wind down, readers begin to count backward until the three are home again. The siblings enjoy two cups of cocoa and one puppy starts to doze.
Although far from unique, this gambol allows parents and children room to talk about seasonal weather and activities. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4586-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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Turner adds another title to his picture-book series that highlights the miracles in the mundane (When God Made Light, 2018, etc.).
In the vein of children’s-bookshelf stalwart Oh, the Places You’ll Go, Turner’s rhyming text includes both prayers and life advice for a growing child, beginning with infancy and moving on to adolescence. At times the rhyme and meter are strained, muddling meaning and making the tempo feel occasionally awkward when read aloud. Overall, though, the book executes its mission, presenting Christian theological truths within the rhythmic inspirational text. For this third series installment Turner’s text is paired with a new illustrator, whose bright illustrations of wide-eyed children have great shelf appeal. While David Catrow’s previous illustrations in the series featured effervescent black protagonists, the child in Barnes’ illustrations appears white, though she occupies an otherwise diverse world. While illustrated as a prayer from a mother for her daughter, the text itself is gender neutral.
Though it will never usurp Dr. Seuss, it will still find a home where Christian families of faith seek inspirational picture books. (Picture book/religion. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 19, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-52565058-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: WaterBrook
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION
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Even more alliterative hanky-panky from the creators of The Wonky Donkey (2010).
Operating on the principle (valid, here) that anything worth doing is worth overdoing, Smith and Cowley give their wildly popular Wonky Donkey a daughter—who, being “cute and small,” was a “dinky donkey”; having “beautiful long eyelashes” she was in consequence a “blinky dinky donkey”; and so on…and on…and on until the cumulative chorus sails past silly and ludicrous to irresistibly hysterical: “She was a stinky funky plinky-plonky winky-tinky,” etc. The repeating “Hee Haw!” chorus hardly suggests what any audience’s escalating response will be. In the illustrations the daughter sports her parent’s big, shiny eyes and winsome grin while posing in a multicolored mohawk next to a rustic boombox (“She was a punky blinky”), painting her hooves pink, crossing her rear legs to signal a need to pee (“winky-tinky inky-pinky”), demonstrating her smelliness with the help of a histrionic hummingbird, and finally cozying up to her proud, evidently single parent (there’s no sign of another) for a closing cuddle.
Should be packaged with an oxygen supply, as it will incontestably elicit uncontrollable gales of giggles. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-60083-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Oct. 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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