Like Ruby, Benji, and Guy, readers will want to share Blocks! (Picture book. 2-4)
A cleverly simple book builds skills as well as towers.
Ruby, a dark-skinned, dark-haired child wearing red, has red blocks, while Benji, a white boy clad in blue, has blue. Once introduced in bold mixed-media illustrations set against empty white backgrounds, they engage in parallel play and build separate towers with their respective blocks. Ruby is on the verso and Benji on the recto, with the gutter neatly separating them—except for an errant red block that barely sneaks onto Benji’s side. With the next page turn, Benji takes a red block, and Ruby looks on, aghast. After she watches him walk away, the next double-page spread shows the children in a furious tug of war across the gutter that sets them up for the next chaotic spread. They’ve now pulled apart and tumble onto opposite pages amid a storm of blue and red blocks. Once they gather themselves they notice they both have blocks of each color, and they build a big blue and red structure together. That could be a fine end to the picture book, but Dickson has more in store: a page turn shows Guy, a young black boy clad in green, pulling a wagon with green blocks. “What will they do now?” asks the final line of text, leaving possible answers open for readers to speculate on.
Like Ruby, Benji, and Guy, readers will want to share Blocks! (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: May 10, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7636-8656-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...
A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.
Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Treacle drips from every page. Find self-esteem elsewhere.
The voice of an omniscient narrator, who may or may not be a caregiver, speaks directly to an unhappy child with an invitation to a very special place.
The child follows directions to the beautiful title isle “just across the bay.” Ferried across by a toy elephant in a sailboat, the child is given an enthusiastic welcome by more adorable animals and some other children. The little one swims in a waterfall, rides a giant eagle, relaxes in a hammock, and happily engages with some of the other children. Several of the activities are stereotypically girl-associated, and the other children appear to be girls with varying skin tones and hair textures; the little protagonist has light skin and a brown pageboy and is only suggested as female. After elaborate entertainments and a sweet feast, the child is assured that “someone loves you very, very, very much” before being borne safely home. Deep purple, bright pastel pink, and yellow watercolors dominate the color palette, creating a magical, otherworldly atmosphere. But it is also somewhat creepy as well. The Isle of You exists only for the protagonist’s happiness, even the other children there, who appear to have no existence in the real world. Apparently intended to build self-esteem and comfort, it seems to encourage self-centeredness instead, as does the ending play on the pronunciation of the title words.
Treacle drips from every page. Find self-esteem elsewhere. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Dec. 11, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7636-9116-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
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