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TEN IN THE BED

A natural fit for storytime or one-on-one bedtime sharing.

Guile gives the traditional, infectious counting song about rolling out of bed new life in this die-cut delight.

Sturdy L-shaped pages—each one a little bigger than the last—stagger to create a terraced effect, making the two rows of animals asleep in the bed seem to pop off the pages. The characters in this version are adorable stuffed animals, including a crocodile, giraffe, horse, pig, cat, duck, monkey, rabbit, bear and mouse. They roll out of the bed one by one (with sound effects—the pig says “OINK, OINK, OOPS!” and the bear “GRR, GRR, BUMP!” for instance) until only the mouse is left, looking small and fragile against the expanse of the empty bed. The text reads: “There was ONE in the bed, / and the little one said, / ‘I’m lonely! I’m lonely!’ ” The final page shows all the animals back in the bed with the little mouse snuggled right in the middle and offers a happy ending for everyone: “So they all climbed in / and snuggled up tight. / Good night! Good night!” Toddlers and preschoolers dig this repetitive count-down ditty, and they will love it even more in this engaging format.

A natural fit for storytime or one-on-one bedtime sharing. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1-58925-618-7

Page Count: 22

Publisher: Tiger Tales

Review Posted Online: Oct. 8, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014

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SMILE, POUT-POUT FISH

An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.

This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.

Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.

An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8

Page Count: 12

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014

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LLAMA LLAMA SHAPES

From the Learning With Llama Llama series

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

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