Adorable but half-baked.
A variety of caregivers, both animal and human, share how they attend to the needs of their little ones.
On each spread, we see a large illustration of a cartoon baby against a muted or white background. The youngsters are depicted in cozy situations, often looking lovingly off the page toward the unseen parent. A kid (the goat kind) utters its first words; a bunny cries while lying in its crib; a kitten plays peekaboo from behind pillows; and a puppy enjoys a bubble bath. Despite the animal stand-ins, the scenes mostly progress through a day that is typical for a human little one, culminating with a White toddler with brown hair asleep in a bed while the off-page caregiver promises to love the child and repeat it all again the next day. Van Genechten’s art is as cuddly as ever; however, the text, translated from Dutch, reads oddly in a few spots and includes a misspelling: “I play peek-a-book with you / where are you / there you are.” The translator uses the word tussle for a reference to a lamb’s puffy topknot hairdo, though tousle should be employed instead. Some of the described actions in the text are not visible in the art, and parents and caregivers are not seen interacting with the little ones. This may be confusing and unsatisfying for the target audience.
Adorable but half-baked. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: April 13, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-60537-621-9
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2021
A joyful celebration.
Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.
The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together, frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.
A joyful celebration. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead.
An Easter-themed board-book parody of the traditional nursery rhyme.
Unfortunately, this effort is just as sugary and uninspired as The Itsy Bitsy Snowman, offered by the same pair in 2015. A cheerful white bunny hops through a pastel world to distribute candy and treats for Easter but spills his baskets. A hedgehog, fox, mouse, and various birds come to the bunny’s rescue, retrieving the candy, helping to devise a distribution plan, and hiding the eggs. Then magically, they all fly off in a hot air balloon as the little animals in the village emerge to find the treats. Without any apparent purpose, the type changes color to highlight some words. For very young children every word is new, so highlighting “tiny tail” or “friends” makes no sense. Although the text is meant to be sung, the words don't quite fit the rhythm of the original song. Moreover, there are not clear motions to accompany the text; without the fingerplay movements, this book has none of the satisfying verve of the traditional version.
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5621-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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