Using bouncy rhyme, Manushkin pays tribute to the virtues of the tush. Both animals and humans have them. Even the king and queen have tushies. Some are firm and some are droopy. It’s a fun word to say, but it also cushions you during a fall. It’s a place to put your underwear and something to somersault over your head. Dockray’s colorful line drawings illustrate with realism and humor all the activities of the tushy, from sledding to skating to dancing. The artist’s use of white space leaves the pages uncluttered, letting the detail shine through. As the author states, we all have tushies, but readers will also all have smiles after finishing this book. Having finished it once, however, they’re unlikely to pick it up again; as one-joke butt books go, this pales in comparison to such derriere-licious treatments as Chicken Cheeks, by Michael Ian Black and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes (2009). (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: April 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-312-36926-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2009
A cheery little girl and her dad plan a shopping trip, go to the grocery store (by bike), purchase ingredients and go home to make pizza for the whole family (a biracial one, in a nice touch). An enthusiastic running commentary narrates the activities, which all go smoothly and safely, with just a bit of mess. Birkett’s bright, line-and-color illustrations focus on the child and her contributions, evoking Aliki in line and mood. The narration, which seems to include both the child and her father’s dialogue without distinction, may confuse some readers slightly, but its rapid-fire enthusiasm is appealing. This entry in the Helping Hands series is joined by Clean It! (ISBN: 978-1-84643-283-6), Fix It! (ISBN: 978-1-84643-286-6) and Grow It! (ISBN: 978-1-84643-285-9). All have a thinner-than-usual page stock that suits them, appropriately, to toddlers. (Board book. 2-4)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-84643-284-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Child's Play
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2010
We’ll say it: a toothsome experience.
Flash those pearly whites!
Renowned poet Florian’s jaunty rhymes suggest that a hygiene ritual many children consider bothersome can be “fun! fun! fun!” Each spread features lively scenes showing kids demonstrating tooth- and mouth-cleansing techniques as well as two couplets in which the second exclamatory lines—containing a word repeated three times—rhyme with each other (“Toothpaste on the / brush! brush! brush!” “Take your time. / Don’t rush! rush! rush!”). Parents and caregivers seeking an enjoyable, stimulating way to motivate youngsters to perform this important daily task may wish to recite the rollicking verses to provide a pleasant, rhythmic, chanting “background” whenever their kids wield their toothbrushes. The colorful, energetic illustrations depict happy, wide-eyed, racially diverse small children—some with missing teeth—taking care of their oral-hygiene business with gusto. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
We’ll say it: a toothsome experience. (Board book. 2-5)Pub Date: July 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4998-1340-1
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
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