Wilner’s (The Poetry Troupe, not reviewed) collection of games, especially for baby, engages children’s entire being, from the top of their fuzzy little heads to the tips of their tiny toes, in loving play. In a special foreword to parents and caregivers, the author stresses that the purpose of play with baby is to interact with the child rather than whether to play the game correctly. Over 30 different rhymes are included in the text, stimulating a variety of baby’s senses and providing a gentle introduction to language. There are rhymes focusing on baby’s fingers and toes, activities that identify the parts of baby’s face and even a counting game that introduces the days of the week and the numbers one through ten. Ride-along games, like “This Is the Way Ladies Ride,” and an assortment of tickle games are sure to generate lots of toothless grins. Some activities are classic and familiar, such as “Peek-a-boo” and “Pat-a-cake.” Others are new adaptations of an older game, e.g., “The Love Game” uses arm motions to indicate how much you love baby, much like the traditional “How Big Is Baby” game. Williams’s (Cold Little Duck, Duck, Duck, 2000) delicately hued watercolors are a vital part of the book’s appeal and success. Each rhyme comprises either a full-page or two-page spread, with accompanying illustrations. The soft pastel drawings are a mixture of form and function; whimsical scenes entertain while offering possibilities on how to execute the activities. A multicultural assortment of round-headed infants with sweet little smiles peer out of the pages. A winsome treasury of games that reinforce the bonds of love between parent and child. (author’s note) (Picture book. 0-2)
Pub Date: April 30, 2000
ISBN: 0-688-15916-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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