A feast for the eyes and ears, this beach and bedtime story will be read and reread often.
The protagonists of What Does Little Crocodile Say? (2021) return for a sound-filled day at the beach.
Big Crocodile and Little Crocodile are on a camping vacation near the beach. As they ride their bike, “the bell goes dring dring.” “The sunscreen goes squirt.” “The fish go blub.” “The hermit crab goes snip-snap.” Adult readers who enjoy reading with expression will have fun creating the sound featured in each scene, and young listeners will soon understand the story’s pattern and chime in with a “splash” for an incoming wave, a “tick tock tick” as Big Crocodile checks the time, and a “toot toot” when the ship in the harbor signals. “And what does Little Crocodile say” when it’s time to leave? “WWWWAAH.” As the day winds down, readers will notice a familiar bedtime routine. The pair shower and struggle with pajamas, dine al fresco with a cricket companion, and finally wish on a shooting star before retiring to their tent and sleeping bags. “And the moon says ‘good night.’ ” Reflecting the text well and adding details like seaside friends, veggie kebobs, and night sky constellations, delicate and whimsical colored pencil and chalk pastel illustrations of the pair stand out against generally neutral backgrounds with minimal details; each enchanting page highlights a different activity in this lovely day. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A feast for the eyes and ears, this beach and bedtime story will be read and reread often. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: March 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781774881552
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
An A+ for Little E and his creator.
A petite excavator named Little E finds his place among a crew of full-sized, heavy-construction equipment working together to build a park.
The anthropomorphic Little E, with bright, friendly eyes and a cheery smile, invites readers into the story on the large-format cover. He is followed by a brown-and-white–spotted dog, which appears throughout the story as a friend to Little E. The construction vehicles arrive at an abandoned lot and begin working together to transform the property into a park. The rollicking, rhyming text names each type of rig and its function, including lots of sound effects and action verbs set in display type integrated into the illustrations: “Pusha-pusha smusha-smusha SMASH SMASH SMASH!” Little E tries to help with each step, but he is either too small or not strong enough for the task at hand. The last step of the park-construction project is the planting of a tree on an island reached by a bridge, but all the big rigs are too large to safely cross the wooden bridge. In a pitch-perfect conclusion, Little E is just the right size for the job. Dewdney, the late author/illustrator of the Llama Llama series, has constructed a solid winner for one of her final books, with an appealing main character, vibrant illustrations with varying perspectives, and an action-packed, rhyming text with sound effects just begging to be read aloud with dramatic effect.
An A+ for Little E and his creator. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: June 6, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-101-99920-2
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: March 19, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Nothing riveting but serviceable enough.
Children are introduced to the concepts of sorting and classifying in this bedtime story.
It is getting close to bedtime, and Marco’s mother asks him to put his toys away. Marco—who thinks of himself as a scientist—corrects her: “You mean time to sort the animals.” And that’s what he proceeds to do. Marco sorts his animals into three baskets labeled “Flying Animals,” “Swimming Animals,” and “Animals That Move on Land,” but the animals will not sleep. So he sorts them by color: “Mostly Brown,” “Black and White,” and “Colors of the Rainbow,” but Zebra is upset to be separated from Giraffe. Next, Marco sorts his animals by size: “Small,” “Medium,” and “Large,” but the big animals are cramped and the small ones feel cold. Finally, Marco ranges them around his bed from biggest to smallest, thus providing them with space to move and helping them to feel safe. Everyone satisfied, they all go to sleep. While the plot is flimsy, the general idea that organizing and classifying can be accomplished in many different ways is clear. Young children are also presented with the concept that different classifications can lead to different results. The illustrations, while static, keep the focus clearly on the sorting taking place. Marco and his mother have brown skin. The backmatter includes an explanation of sorting in science and ideas for further activities.
Nothing riveting but serviceable enough. (Math picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-62354-128-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
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