A simple seek-and-find with math learning for the youngest readers.
A girl invites readers to look around the yard for eggs with her.
In this installment of the publisher’s Storytelling Math series, an Asian girl named Mei sets out to gather the eggs. But where are they? Observant readers will be able to spot (almost) all of them in the first spread of the entire yard, but subsequent pages feature close-ups of each egg. “There’s an egg!” The first one is found “next to the watering can.” The next is “behind the flowerpot.” Each egg is described by a word that designates its special relationship to an object. But after the fourth egg is found, Mei asks, “Where should I look next?” It’s not visible…yet! Young readers will be able to find and point to the eggs while caregivers use the positional words to introduce concepts that, according to the endnote, “are important in math, science, and daily life.” Bright, solid colors outlined in black make the illustrations warm and inviting. And while the text is minimal, it still exudes charm and invites interaction. Notes at the end help caregivers understand why these concepts are important and suggest other activities and conversations that help children learn and talk about these ideas. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A simple seek-and-find with math learning for the youngest readers. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: March 14, 2023
ISBN: 9781623543464
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
For toddlers unafraid of typical Halloween imagery.
A troop of cats traverse a spooky landscape as they make their way to a party hosted by ghosts.
Each double-page spread shows the felines’ encounters with the likes of an owl, jack-o’-lanterns or a bat. One or two of these creepy meetings may be too abstract for the youngest readers, as the cats hear eerie noises with no discernible source on the page. The text, which consists of one rhyming couplet per scene, mostly scans despite a couple of wobbles: “Five black cats get a bit of a scare / As the flip-flapping wings of a bat fill the air.” The sleek, slightly retro art, likely created using a computer, depicts the cats cavorting at night through a shadowy cityscape, the countryside and a haunted house; they may scare some toddlers and delight others. A brighter color palette would have given the project a friendlier, more universal appeal. Luckily, the well-lit, final party scene provides a playful conclusion.
For toddlers unafraid of typical Halloween imagery. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-58925-611-8
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
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