This story’s got a moral that’s actually true to life.
Three pigs find themselves trying but not always succeeding in this story of perseverance.
They fall out of boats, spin out of control, and often fall down, but in the end, these “pigs in a pickle know what to do. / They try again—they carry through!” In a tale that combines aspects of “This Little Piggy” and “Humpty Dumpty,” Wilhelm’s rhyming text echoes the childhood classics. Impressively, the story conveys its message about perseverance without ending sappily with a success story. In Wilhelm’s take, when you give it your “best shot,” realistically, “sometimes it works… / …and sometimes it does not.” The piggy who falls off the merry-go-round gets back up and tries again—and again he falls off. What a lesson for little readers! Salcedo’s three pigs each have their own distinctive look: one with large glasses, the second with pigtails, and the third with a round tummy. Each illustration is filled with a lot of movement thanks to well-placed lines, swirls, and squiggles, a necessary inclusion given the copious stumbling, twirling, and falling. There is also a lovely level of detail, from the suits on the playing cards to the tiny hose and ladder on the toy fire truck, though this visual complexity gears this book to the older segment of the board-book audience.
This story’s got a moral that’s actually true to life. (Board book. 3-4)Pub Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4521-7896-7
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
Though very affectionate, this drift into slumber hops heavily
A bunny exults in the joys of bedtime one yawn at a time.
Both parents assist their little rabbit through the nightly ritual until their child's words turn to zzz's. Mom playfully chases her bunny into bed; Dad gets syrupy after the story: “Of all the millions and squillions of little bunnies around the world, how did I get so lucky to have the best one?” The bunny's reflections on his day's activities shift to dramatic, imaginative dreams; the youngster rides bees toward the moon and sails aboard a makeshift pirate ship on a sea made of raspberry jelly and teeming with goldfish. The padded cover encloses gentle spreads that idealize this loving family; the bunnies' fuzzy outlines keep the adorable level at an all-time high. The young narrator addresses his audience in a self-conscious, adult-sounding voice. “Remembering my best moments makes me feel good about being me!” As behavior modeling, this celebration excels; as a depiction of childhood, it leaves a little to be desired.
Though very affectionate, this drift into slumber hops heavily . (Board book. 3-4)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-29016-6
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 12, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012
Unfortunate and inappropriate.
Mouse, squirrel, bird, rabbit, boar and deer all wonder what an acorn will become, and it promises to feed and shelter these animals once it is grown.
Each critter, arriving on the scene in profile, greets the acorn on a double-page spread and asks, “Little acorn, little acorn, what will you be?” The answers that the acorn gives, in a loose rhyme scheme, vary slightly, but its response to the boar is the most creative: “Someday I’ll be a great big tree, and my bark will scratch your back.” The last few pages show the acorn growing into a tall oak and fulfilling its pledge to the animals. Against swathes of green representing a grassy landscape, Gibbs’ creatures, which look to have been created with watercolor and ink, are comically droll and add energy to the staid subject matter. Attached to the cover are two unnecessary felt leaves, thus making the book “Not suitable for children under 3 years old,” as the very tiny fine print on the back of the book notes. As was also the case with Gibbs’ Little Bee (2012), which had fabric wings on the cover, this choking-hazard gimmick makes the book unsafe to use with the typical board-book audience of babies and toddlers and severely limits the age range with which this title can be shared.
Unfortunate and inappropriate. (Board book. 3-4)Pub Date: April 2, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-316-12708-0
Page Count: 20
Publisher: LB Kids/Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2013
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