A celebration of the heights of imagination as the eponymous spring hare lives up (and up and up) to its name.
A bright-eyed, tawny hare joins a red-haired, fair-skinned child on a high-flying adventure in Yelchin's first wordless picture book.
A little hare wanders into the company of a new human friend—add a trampoline, and the fun begins. Playful bounces soon send the young human soaring into the sky, and after a moment's hesitation, the hare sets off to follow. Sailing over a lush, green landscape along with a flock of geese and a bevy of hot air balloons, the hare follows close behind its freckled friend, who waves from airplane seats and the basket of a balloon as the hare flies through rain, clouds, and a rainbow. Floating steadily upward all the while, the pair finally reconnect among the stars—warm, earnest smiles plastered to their faces—and with the help of an obliging falling star, hare and human alike tumble back down to their trampoline and perhaps a new adventure. Awash in bright, springtime hues, Yelchin's illustrations (collages made with painted pieces of cut paper) provide both dynamic backdrop and rich detail in this uplifting visual narrative. Careful readers will notice the similarity between illustrations at the beginning and end that cheerfully blur the distinction between real and pretend, allowing readers to decide for themselves.
A celebration of the heights of imagination as the eponymous spring hare lives up (and up and up) to its name. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-62779-392-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Fun format; bland text.
A hefty board book filled with ruminations on the nature of love.
While love is the topic of this board book, it’s the inventive gatefolds and charmingly vintage illustrations that readers will fall for. Brimming with sweeping declarations along the lines of “Love is / strong. // You have my back and I’ll always have yours,” the text sounds like a series of greeting cards strung together. It’s benign enough, but are most toddlers interested in generic proclamations about love? Some statements, like the ones on “unsinkable” hippos or a panda parent holding a cub “steady,” could introduce new vocabulary. At least there’s plenty of winsome critters to fawn over as the surprisingly sturdy flaps tell dramatic little ministories for each cartoon-style animal species. A downcast baby giraffe looks longingly up at a too-high tasty branch; lift a flap to bring an adult giraffe—and the delicacy—down to the baby, or watch an adventurous young fox retreat into a fold-down–flap burrow to learn that “my heart will always be home with you.” At points, the pages are tricky to turn in the correct order, but clever touches, like a series of folds that slow readers down to a sloth’s speed, make up for it. The book concludes with a gatefold revealing a vibrant playground populated with racially and ethnically diverse humans; two are wheelchair users.
Fun format; bland text. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3153-2
Page Count: 84
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: Dec. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
Although a bit on the slight side, this offering is infused with a warm, light humor just right for cuddling up with a young...
This title previously published in the U.K. takes a cozy look at all kinds of kisses.
Walsh’s rhyming text is full of cutesy rhythms: “Kisses on noses, kisses on toes-es. Sudden kisses when you least supposes.” Sometimes the phrasing stumbles: “Who likes to kiss? I do! I do! Even the shy do. Why not try, too?” But toddlers and young preschoolers will probably not mind. They will be too engaged in spotting the lively penguin on each spread and too charmed by Abbot’s winsome illustrations that fittingly extend the wording in the story. Patient dogs queue up for a smooch from a frog prince, cool blue “ ’normous elephants” contrast strikingly with bright red “little tiny ants” and a bewildered monkey endures a smattering of lipstick kisses. Be the kiss small or tall, one to start or end the day, young readers are reminded that “the very best kiss… / is a kiss from you!” Perhaps no big surprise but comforting nonetheless.
Although a bit on the slight side, this offering is infused with a warm, light humor just right for cuddling up with a young tyke or sharing with a gathering for storytime. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Dec. 20, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2769-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2011
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