Arresting design, simple and useful content, and animal parents and babies: What’s not to like?
Together with Farm, its simultaneously publishing companion in the Animal Families series, this book is exquisite. The eye-popping neon colors and uncluttered, expressive, screen-printed artwork alone make both books worth the price of admission, but the entire presentation hits all the right notes. Each two-page spread is devoted to a species of animal. The “daddy,” with proper nomenclature, appears on verso, “mommy,” with her appropriate term, on recto. The flap upon which “mommy” appears opens, revealing their young along with the proper term for babies of that species: “A daddy peafowl is called a peacock. / A mommy peafowl is called a peahen. Baby peafowl are called… / peachicks!” Each book features four species; the final spread has flaps on both sides that open up to reveal the four animal families depicted and the collective terms for families of each species: in the case of the jungle dwellers, a “memory” of elephants, an “embarrassment” of pandas, a “pride” of peafowl, and an "ambush" of tigers, for example. Farm features sheep, donkeys, chickens, and pigs. Kids will learn to tell jacks from jennys, rams from ewes, and foals from lambs, chicks, and piglets. Opening the flaps adds yet another level of interest for curious—and grabby—tots.
Whether readers are zoologists in the making or just fans of our animal friends, this book and its companion are sure to please. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0831-3
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Nosy Crow/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 24, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Gorgeous birds amid foliage of similar hues introduce eight basic colors.
The two birds presented on each spread not only are of similar coloration, but also live in the same North American habitat. A scarlet tanager and a cardinal, both male, perch in a red maple tree; a male Eastern bluebird and a blue jay appear with morning glories and blueberries. The name of each color is printed in large font, while the name of each bird is in a much smaller one. Whether the bird shown is male or female, or if the male and female have similar coloring, is also indicated. The names of the trees they perch upon are identified in a note on the back cover. These details will be lost on most toddlers, but caregivers will appreciate being able to answer questions knowledgeably. Colors featured are from the standard box of crayons, except that pink is substituted for purple. Black and white share a spread. The cover image, of a cardinal, goldfinch, and bluebird in a birdbath, is not nearly as inviting as the images within. The final spread shows children (one white, one black, one Asian) assembling a puzzle that includes the same birds. This may serve as a reprise but will probably be skipped over. Bird-loving readers will probably feel that the space could have been put to better use by giving white birds their own page or adding a purple martin.
Useful for toddling birders in need of board books about colors. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: May 2, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-58089-742-6
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: April 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There’s plenty of information and instruction crammed into this 5 ½-inch-square board book.
Hutton starts with the opening lines of “The Itsy Bitsy Spider,” leaving blanks to indicate where readers should fill in key words. Caregivers of toddlers who do not know the song will need to supply the words until their children are familiar enough with it to play the game. On the third page the tone shifts to conversational questioning, providing a model of dialogic reading. The adult reader speaks directly to the child: “Did you just see a bug? What kind of bug was it?…Was it BIG or small? Inside or outside?” The next six pages continue in that vein, providing information in response to the questions. Pages 11 and 12 refer to the rhyme again: “What’s that spider doing? Yes, it’s climbing! Climbing up a water spout! Climbing up a water spout at Grandpa’s house!” This method of repetition and expansion on an idea is excellent practice for beginning readers, but again, toddlers may need time to adjust. The final spread returns to a question likely to engage toddlers, with no practice necessary: “What’s your favorite kind of bug?” Colorful illustrations in shades of blue, green, and brown are only semirealistic; they emphasize a friendly look instead of a creepy one, potentially disappointing for young entomologists fascinated by the real thing.
For very young children already buggy for bugs. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-936669-80-6
Page Count: 14
Publisher: blue manatee press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS
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