For new siblings who are pretty solid in knowing their body parts.
Andreae and Dodd continue to explore family relationships (I Love My Mommy, 2011; I Love My Daddy, 2012) with this look at the towheaded toddler’s love for his new sibling.
The young boy’s adoration for the new addition is obvious from the start. Readers follow the boy and his loving parents as they dress the baby, drive to a pool to swim, get dried off and eat, go for a walk, give the baby a bath, and tuck the wee one into bed. Along the way, the boy counts all the parts the baby has: “two little cheeks on one little bum,” “eight squashy knuckles,” and “one kissy mouth” being just a few. But although Dodd’s signature illustrations are as adorable and child-friendly as ever, not all the body parts counted in the text can be found in the pictures, making this a frustrating read for those eager to point them out to their own loving adults or siblings. For instance, the baby’s mouth is an upward, lipless swoosh, the baby’s head is turned so only one ear shows, and all of the mentioned parts are under a blanket when the baby is ensconced in the carriage. Plus, younger readers may not know chest, ankles, and hips. Children familiar with the other two titles may fruitlessly look for the boy’s purple stuffed duck in every illustration—it only appears in half of them.
For new siblings who are pretty solid in knowing their body parts. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4847-2230-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Sept. 20, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2015
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...
A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.
Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Good for a giggle from preschool readers despite its slight imperfections.
A brightly illustrated story told in rhyme about mixed-up robots getting ready for the day.
Holub and Dickason team up for another title echoing the style of their similarly formatted Hello Knights! and Hello Ninjas! (both 2018). Here, the titular robots are having trouble getting ready for the day. They put socks on top of shoes and even forget how to eat their cereal, pouring milk on their heads and flipping their bowls upside down on the table. The confusion comes to a climax in a double gatefold in which the robots realize that they need a reboot, correcting their routines. Young readers will delight in the silliness: underpants on heads, bathing in clothes. Holub’s rhyming text works well for the most part and includes some charming turns of phrase, such as “brushing bolts” in place of brushing teeth. Dickason’s illustrations use a consistent palette of mostly primary colors and feature 1960s-style robots drawn with antennae, motherboards on boxy chests, and wheels for feet. The pages are busy and packed, allowing for new discoveries upon each read, though this busyness argues for use with older toddlers. It’s not entirely clear where the robots are headed (school?) or whether or not they’re also ETs (they fly away on a spaceship), but the story is fun enough to overlook those muddled details.
Good for a giggle from preschool readers despite its slight imperfections. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5344-1871-4
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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