High on play value and low on informational or literary content.
This set of nine miniature board books introduces youngsters to animals spanning the globe.
Each book, measuring a little over 1¾ inches square and 1¼ inches thick, tackles a different set of creatures grouped by taxonomy (“Insects and Bugs”), habitat (“Forest Animals”), relationship with humans (“Pets”; “Farm Animals”), and more. Each title contains five chunky double-page spreads with an animal appearing on the recto and a one-word label centered on the white background of the verso. Four different illustrators worked on the simple cartoon illustrations, and it shows, with styles varying dramatically. For example, the duck from “Birds” is a stylized but fairly realistic mallard, and the duck from “Life in the Pond” looks like it belongs in a child’s bathtub. The back of each book features one-ninth of a scene featuring a few of the creatures from inside the pages, and when the books are all flipped over, kids can assemble them like a puzzle. The set is contained in a sturdy box with a magnetic closure, each book nestled in its own candy-box–like section. Cover images for each title appear on the bottom of the box to aid in placing them back in storage, a superfluous feature. The square, blocky shape of the books may mean that they prove more popular for little fingers as toys than books.
High on play value and low on informational or literary content. (Novelty/board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-948418-52-2
Page Count: 54
Publisher: Clever Publishing
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
A fun, new take on droppings.
Youngsters can learn about where and how various animals, domestic and wild, relieve themselves.
Via a pull-tab embedded in each recto (not, thankfully, in the rectum) readers can see the before and after, and a goldfish in a bowl leaves a trail while swimming. The verso asks each creature where it does its business, and then a (sometimes-forced) rhyming quatrain, translated from Italian, answers the question: “And where do YOU poop, mouse? / When inside my tummy / Starts to feel not so good / It’s time for a poop / On these chips made of wood!” The final double-page spread queries readers: “And where do YOU poop?” A redheaded, White toddler’s face is visible below this question; the pull-tab on the right opens a bathroom to reveal a White toddler, this time with medium brown hair, happily and modestly sitting on a blue toddler potty. The accompanying quatrain provides some developmentally appropriate guidance for feeling the signs of a movement coming on. Baruzzi’s art is droll and graphically clean (inasmuch as the depiction of excrement can be described that way). Little fingers may need some help finding the relatively easy-to-open and sturdy pull-tabs, since they blend into each page. It works as both a biology lesson and potty-training encouragement.
A fun, new take on droppings. (Novelty board book. 18 mos.-3)Pub Date: May 11, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-66265-042-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: minedition
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2021
Useful for toddling birders in need of board books about colors.
Gorgeous birds amid foliage of similar hues introduce eight basic colors.
The two birds presented on each spread not only are of similar coloration, but also live in the same North American habitat. A scarlet tanager and a cardinal, both male, perch in a red maple tree; a male Eastern bluebird and a blue jay appear with morning glories and blueberries. The name of each color is printed in large font, while the name of each bird is in a much smaller one. Whether the bird shown is male or female, or if the male and female have similar coloring, is also indicated. The names of the trees they perch upon are identified in a note on the back cover. These details will be lost on most toddlers, but caregivers will appreciate being able to answer questions knowledgeably. Colors featured are from the standard box of crayons, except that pink is substituted for purple. Black and white share a spread. The cover image, of a cardinal, goldfinch, and bluebird in a birdbath, is not nearly as inviting as the images within. The final spread shows children (one white, one black, one Asian) assembling a puzzle that includes the same birds. This may serve as a reprise but will probably be skipped over. Bird-loving readers will probably feel that the space could have been put to better use by giving white birds their own page or adding a purple martin.
Useful for toddling birders in need of board books about colors. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: May 2, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-58089-742-6
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
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