Attractive, interactive, and informative. A winner all around.
Little ones learn about some forest-animal families in this lift-the-flap board book.
Introducing four animals that can be found in a North American forest, the book teaches young readers that there’s more to identifying them than just naming the animal species. For example: “A mommy fox is called a vixen. A daddy fox is called a dog. Baby foxes are called… / kits!” Double-page spreads introduce each one of the four animals: foxes, deer, rabbits, and bears. The “mommy” is on one side, the “daddy” on the other; lift the shaped right-hand flap, and the baby information is revealed. A striking gatefold ending reveals there is even more to learn: “There are also names for animal families. Groups of these animals are called… / a skulk of foxes.” The screen-printed illustrations use plenty of eye-catching neon pink for a very attractive effect. Companion book Safari introduces four African animals: leopards, zebras, lions, and rhinos. The format and sentence structure is the same as in Forest, though here the color playing the lead role is a warm and glowing yellow with an equally attractive effect. Limiting the books to just four animals each makes them very accessible to the youngest readers; the more verbal preschoolers might take a step further and find themselves asking if the same also applies to other species.
Attractive, interactive, and informative. A winner all around. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: June 9, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1198-6
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The art and writing can stand on their own while the gimmick will likely distract anyone reading aloud even as it delights...
A cow named Cuddly searches for a quiet place to hit the hay in this book with barnyard sounds supplied in an embedded sound chip.
From the cover, toddlers can push a big green button (which doubles as a speaker) to activate the chip, which features a loud moo with other animal sounds in the background; die-cut circles in the lower corner of the cover and subsequent pages ensure its accessibility throughout. Cuddly tries to bunk with the hens, a horse, and the pigs to no avail. She has a brainstorm and counts the sheep in a field and quickly falls asleep. Scheffler, of The Gruffalo fame, uses richly colored gouache to paint scenes with friendly, wide-eyed farm residents against pastoral backgrounds. Young readers may be confused to see a very bright sky in this tale set at twilight. Each one-page scene is paired with a nicely scanning quatrain set in a large font against a brightly colored background on the opposite page. In the companion title, titular Higgly Hen loses her eggs as they hatch, legs first, and then walk away. In slapstick fashion, she chases the walking eggs around the farm until she finds them all in time for them to complete their emergence. This offering sports a large yellow button that clucks realistically when pressed. The battery can be replaced by opening a panel (with a tiny Phillips screwdriver) in the back of the book, but caregivers may choose to let the noisemaker die a natural death.
The art and writing can stand on their own while the gimmick will likely distract anyone reading aloud even as it delights little ears and fingers. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: April 25, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7636-9325-1
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Sure to inspire care for babies and books alike.
A board book with movable parts especially for little ones moving into big-siblinghood.
The book’s sturdy pages open top to bottom to display a vertically oriented baby with peachy skin that early text invites readers to massage. On the bottom of the first spread, readers are invited to “Put the diaper on Baby and fasten it,” and the illustration is equipped with flaps that lift up and tuck into slots in the diaper’s waistband. Movable nail scissors glide back and forth to trim the baby’s nails, and an ear thermometer with a slider to reveal the digital measurement of the baby’s temperature offers another chance to manipulate and interact with the book. Ensuing pages with similar movable parts invite readers to dress, wash, and feed the baby, while the final spread tells them to “Tuck Baby into the sleep sack.” While most parts of the book are impressively durable, a few fragile elements (small buttons on the bodysuit and the aforementioned diaper fasteners) will likely provoke warnings to be careful and are unlikely to stand up to enthusiastic little hands. Nevertheless, the book’s bold illustrations and inviting interactivity will surely make it a hit with many new and soon-to-be big brothers and sisters, not to mention any baby-fascinated toddlers.
Sure to inspire care for babies and books alike. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2017
ISBN: 979-1-02-760302-2
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Twirl/Chronicle
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
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