A solid board-book introduction to insects.
Briefly meet nine different insect species (and one misplaced snail).
Some big bugs are hiding inside this neatly packaged board book with diminutive trim! The refined insect collages fall into that optimal space between scientifically accurate yet stylized enough to be nonthreatening. Colors weave between luminous translucent wings, dazzlingly bright caterpillar and bee stripes, and earthy-colored bug bodies, all backed by minimal but evocative backgrounds, as with a fly hovering over silhouettes of stinky socks. Accompanying text identifying and providing a brief fact about the bug is succinctly accurate, but the choice of bolded word within the factoid feels arbitrary. In “a caterpillar munches leaves and makes itself a cocoon,” isn’t cocoon as relevant as leaves? Onomatopoeic words “flutter” or “crawl” unobtrusively about the outlines of the critters. A companion book, Nature, utilizes a daintier style of collage, creating delicate, intricately cut habitats. Unlike the laser-focused, zoomed-in Bugs, Nature takes a long view indeed, showcasing “rivers,” “oceans,” and the “universe” itself. This scope can feel grandiose, and the more-conceptual pages, like “seasons” or “weather,” could have used books of their own, although ending with “you” as an integral part of nature does ground it somewhat. Human characters, of whom the majority present as light-skinned, are the weakest part of Lundie’s collage work.
A solid board-book introduction to insects. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68152-760-4
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Amicus Ink
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Setting aside the repetitive text, this one is worth picking up for the rich, absorbing illustrations of lesser-known...
Insects and animals that feature prominent spots, spikes, and spirals are depicted in vibrant watercolor.
This board book comes from the team behind Dot, Stripe, Squiggle (2018), and similarly, it’s also all in the name. It opens with a series of three progressions of the words, “Spot / Spike / Spiral,” each featured on its own two-page spread, matched with an insect or animal featuring one of those three descriptors. Tuttle’s text is basic and simple, with only slight changes thanks to some ellipses, exclamation points, and arbitrary-feeling capitalization. Nerlove’s incredibly rich and detailed watercolor illustrations drive all of the reader interest. Though the pages appear sparse and the illustrations are shown on a starkly contrasting, all-white background, they encourage readers to linger and look. There is so much to absorb and study: the depth of color variation in the blue poison dart frog’s skin and the tiny fly capturing its attention, the gorgeous rainbow of color and pattern on the lanternfly. The last two pages show each animal or insect and its complete name—a nice touch and certainly necessary for curious young readers.
Setting aside the repetitive text, this one is worth picking up for the rich, absorbing illustrations of lesser-known animals and insects. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: March 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-56846-333-9
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Creative Editions/Creative Company
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A gentle underwater excursion.
An ocean-themed entry in the Hello World series.
A white youngster with long hair sporting a swim mask encourages little ones to “Dive in and take a look!” at ocean life. Each double-page spread presents a different marine animal, including whales, dolphins, sharks, an octopus, a crab and a lobster, sea turtles, fish, and jellyfish. Two or three conversationally conveyed facts of interest are included per double-page spread, one of which is usually in a smaller type and marked with an asterisk for obscure reasons. “What’s that? It’s a sea horse? It can quickly change colors to blend with the background, helping it hide from enemies,” reads the larger text in one representative spread, while the text in the smaller font reads, “A sea horse father carries eggs in a pouch until they are ready to hatch.” A trio of children, all of whom have light complexions, build a sand castle on the beach and collect shells to highlight the wide variety of the latter that can be found. McDonald’s jewel-toned art has the look of watercolor and is appropriately watery and accessible. The final pages allow children to reflect on their favorite ocean animal as the art reviews all the creatures depicted.
A gentle underwater excursion. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-525-57877-2
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
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