A little chiller for Halloween or any time the lights are low.
A pair of googly eyes gives even the shark and the hippo willies in this pop-up minimystery.
“Those frightening eyes! / That hideous stare! / What on earth is that thing over there?” From a curly snake to an octopus with writhing tentacles, both fresh- and saltwater creatures look askance at the wide eyes staring from a page corner on each spread. A gray and teal palette gives both the dark pop-up figures and simple marine settings in Mansfield’s paper-collage illustrations a suitably murky atmosphere. The insistent questions crank up the suspense—until the end’s climactic denouement: “You mean me?” says a little wriggler. “I’m a tadpole who’s / learning to swim— / that’s all!” The co-published Who’s Who in the Woods? follows a similar scheme with nocturnal land and flying creatures anxiously veering away from a low stare that turns out to belong to…a tiny mouse. Both books are wee in both trim size and page count, giving them a nicely nonthreatening feel.
A little chiller for Halloween or any time the lights are low. (Pop-up picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0139-2
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 13, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2015
A story with a youngster getting ready for Christmas with just his dad should be a welcome choice for single fathers to...
A little bear named Teddy gets ready for Christmas with his father, Big Bear, in this decidedly cheerful British import.
Teddy is anxiously awaiting the arrival of Christmas, asking his father endless questions in the manner of little ones everywhere. Father and son work together to wrap presents, bake a cake and search for a Christmas tree. The tree that Teddy chooses is too large to fit through the doors of their house, and when they bring it through the window, the top of the tree snaps off. Teddy dissolves into tears at the accident, but father and son work together to repair the damage and decorate the tree for Christmas Eve. A joyful concluding spread shows the bear pair on Christmas morning, sprawled under their tree, eating cake and candy and enjoying their unwrapped gifts. The text is aggressively jolly, with sound effects and key words and phrases set in display type and lots of exclamation marks. But Chapman’s large-format illustrations are appealing, with plenty of humor and motion, and her bears are amusing—especially Teddy, who really does look like a teddy bear come to life.
A story with a youngster getting ready for Christmas with just his dad should be a welcome choice for single fathers to share with their children. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-58925-149-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2013
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A sweet, simple story with a nicely offbeat heroine.
All the animals are welcome to come aboard.
Hedgehog seems very lonely, “curled up in a prickly little ball in a lonely little nook of a lonely little tree.” When she overhears a sympathetic conversation about friendship “out there,” she perks up, picturing a beautiful “Friend Ship.” Hedgehog sets sail with a curious beaver in a small boat to find it. Before long, the duo spots a herd of migrating deer on the shore. Hedgehog asks if they’ve seen the Friend Ship; all reply that they could use a friend and hop aboard. Next, the company spies a rat, who asks to join them. They sail in multiple directions to no avail. Hedgehog begins to lose hope, but her companions convince her to persist. She spots a small island, its only resident an elephant. Hedgehog swims the distance and asks the elephant about the Friend Ship. The elephant points at Hedgehog’s small boat full of animals and asks, “Isn’t that it—right over there?” It’s a lightning-bolt moment. Hedgehog invites the elephant aboard, and they sail west, celebrating all the while…into the sunset together. Yeh makes effective use of dialogue and repetition, investing her characters with personality with just a few lines. Groenink employs sunny, warm hues that increase in saturation as the boat fills and Hedgehog becomes surrounded by friends.
A sweet, simple story with a nicely offbeat heroine. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4847-0726-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2016
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BOOK REVIEW
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