A sense of fun, clear, uncluttered design, and construction that should hold up to heavy use make this board book's...
A book bound in a box, with layered die-cut board pages within, introduces a variety of animals for young children to practice counting.
A cheerful, begging dog peeks through a cutout on the extra-thick cover and provides a tactile surprise on the first page. Each successively larger die-cut page has a layered half-circle tab to make page turning easy for little fingers. A spotted pup is delightfully out of place on each page, from two kangaroos to nine fish. Older toddlers (or their parents, who will be asked to count the same animals again and again) can make a game out of finding the dog in unexpected places: in the kangaroo's pouch, on a lily pad, swimming underwater, or hanging improbably upside down with seven bats. (Perhaps that is why the dogs look so cheerful on the first and last spreads but slightly pained on the counting pages.) There is a fair amount of subtlety at work. Each dog is slightly different from the others, with its collar color matched to the animals on whose page it appears. The sturdy format and extra reinforcement afforded by the box that contains the tabbed pages will help this book hold up to rough handling by babies as they become book-toting toddlers.
A sense of fun, clear, uncluttered design, and construction that should hold up to heavy use make this board book's relatively high price well worth the extra expense. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)Pub Date: May 26, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-78392-7
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.
This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.
Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In this board book designed for the littlest llama lovers, adorable-as-ever Llama Llama (Llama Llama Red Pajama, 2005, etc.) gets ready for some Halloween fun.
Dewdney’s characteristic spare, apt rhymes convey a lot of action in effortlessly readable fashion. A charming and simple introduction to Halloween and its associated activities, this title finds little Llama Llama choosing and carving a pumpkin, pouring candy into bowls, picking out a costume and, finally, trick-or-treating. The costume Llama Llama decides to don—pointy teeth and a black mask and cape—is enough to frighten and fool his friends but not readers, who will immediately recognize and smile at the silly little mini-Dracula. With Dewdney’s characters as expressive as ever, young readers will be drawn right into the holiday fun, eagerly anticipating which costume Llama Llama will choose and excited to see him scare his friends and score some candy at trick-or-treat. In the equally appealing companion title, Llama Llama Jingle Bells,the little fellow gets ready for Christmas, baking and decorating some cookies in anticipation of Santa’s arrival. This simple holiday title will win Llama Llama new fans, and old friends will want to add it and its companion to their collections. (Board book. 1-2)
Pub Date: Aug. 19, 2014
ISBN: 978-0451469786
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015
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BOOK REVIEW
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