Once again, Guy and Escrivá combine their talents to produce an almost wordless bilingual story. Guy’s text creates a telegraphically short framework for the richly colored illustrations, realistic except for the exaggerated heads and facial features of the characters that bring those words to detailed and specific life. A family of four leaves the big city to fly to a more rural, tropical environment to visit Grandma. In the city scenes, there are multi-level apartment buildings and skyscrapers, which contrast with the fruit trees and open spaces where Grandma lives. Because the English and Spanish words are placed together on almost every page, the book serves not simply as two texts for speakers of two languages, but rather as an opportunity for parents and teachers to introduce the two languages to both audiences in a natural way. Full of excitement and family warmth, this is a charming title for the very youngest book lovers. (Picture book. 1-5)
Pub Date: March 1, 2007
ISBN: 0-06-079098-9
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Rayo/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2007
With eyelids fluttering open, an adorable African-American toddler wakes to play a game of peekaboo with everyone. First spying someone over the mound of blankets heaped on the bed, it is “Peekaboo! I see . . . my mommy.” Peering over the edge of another bed, “Peekaboo! I see . . . my daddy.” Again and again, this smiling child sees someone else, even spying her own diapered image in the mirror. A tail wagging out from behind a door turns out to be a puppy. A string trailing from behind an ottoman is a toy train. Traveling outside, a hat dipped low over the garden is “my grandma,” and the man peeking from behind the newspaper is “my grandpa.” Finding a rabbit, a butterfly, and even a friend in the garden is more fun when incorporated into this extended game. The toddler finishes by peering out from the pages to play it with the reader. A small drawing with a clue as to who might be featured in the next scene of this familiar game, precedes the discovery. When the child surprises the object of her interest, the drawings of her smiling face spill across the whole page. Bright pastel drawings, full of vibrant color, illustrate this familiar game. Toddlers will delight in the play-along potential of this beautiful story. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: May 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-399-23602-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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