A warm and enticing celebration of doting fathers.
Whether they are “Papa,” “Bàba,” “Papi,” or “Fadre,” fathers love their children.
This board book shows dads engaging in many different forms of love: reading bedtime stories, searching the skies with a telescope, biking, and gardening. Told from the child’s point of view, the text is made up of simple, descriptive statements like “Daddy and I play soccer together. He teaches me how to juggle the ball,” and “Baba shows me how to dress with style. He makes everything look like new.” The book is inclusive, with characters who are diverse in terms of race and ability. Urda also includes a child who talks about a father figure rather than a dad: “Pappy is like my dad—he helps me ride my bike.” Butcher’s illustrations carefully capture details such as delicate, Afro-textured curls, braids, and crutches. The images show fathers doing a range of tasks, including those traditionally associated with mothers, such as baking and sewing. The colors are vibrant and inviting, with plenty to take in on each page. Overall, this simple tale shows fathers as the diverse, capable, loving parents that they are. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A warm and enticing celebration of doting fathers. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-4998-1351-7
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
An invitation for readers to learn through observation.
Llama Llama and Mama spot different shapes at the farmers market.
Dewdney’s iconic llama stars in this board book, a part of the Learning With Llama Llama series. The story showcases five shapes: rectangles, squares, triangles, circles, and stars. Rather than simply showing the shapes and naming them, illustrator Morrow embeds them inside scenes from the farmers market. Each page turn uncovers a different shape. Signage and a shopping bag pop as rectangles, while umbrellas, a slice of watermelon, and the peaks of the tents form triangles. Shapes that appeared on previous pages are visible even as the story progresses, and the final page helps readers revisit and recall shapes they’ve already found. There are plenty of engaging details to keep readers looking, including other animal shoppers, kite-flying, and sudden, surprising rain. The text is concise, and each spread features a simple question inviting participation. This title is more captivating than other shape concept books, especially those that show block-colored shapes without context. Llama Llama’s popularity will make this a hit with fans, and readers looking for substance will find it. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An invitation for readers to learn through observation. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-46509-7
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Cuddle up with this cheery board book to assure your babies that they too are loved.
Parental love has never been expressed so sweetly and believably.
In this sunny, bright world there is no ambivalence, much less postpartum depression—only positive possibilities. Church offers a model of good parenting, expressing the universal hopes all parents have for their children, that they “see the joy that life can bring.” Her focus is always on the child. The narrator mother is shown only at the very beginning, cuddling her newborn and lifting a sock-clad toddler above her head. On two other pages readers see the mother's hands reaching out to guide and encourage as the baby begins to crawl, stand, and run. The first-person narration might be confusing if the book is shared by a caregiver other than a mother. Toddlers will join in on the reassuring refrain “I will love you forever.” The pants-clad child is shown with tightly curled reddish-brown hair and light brown skin. The mother has a slightly lighter skin tone and straight hair. A faithful brown dog and well-loved teddy bear accompany the child on almost every page.
Cuddle up with this cheery board book to assure your babies that they too are loved. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-94200-3
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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