Stoeke’s (A Friend For Minerva Louise, 1997, etc.) inquisitive chicken returns for another adventure when she visits a nearby fair. With a smile on her beak, the nosy hen ambles off to investigate the loud noises disrupting the evening serenity at her farm: “BOOM! That’s not a cricket. BOOM!” Preschoolers are in for a treat, getting to see a country fair through the naïve chicken’s eyes: to Minerva Louise, fireworks are stars falling from the sky, and the Ferris wheel is a star-bedecked bulldozer. Humor abounds as the inimitable chicken ambles past game booths, the mirrored fun house, and the carousel. Whimsical puns are just right for pint-sized audiences; Minerva thinks the stuffed-animal prizes at the booth are “stuffy old roosters” and that the gourd-judging tent is filled with sleeping hens. Exhausted from her meanderings, Minerva Louise searches for the hen house for a nice little nap. Settling in with some rabbits, she awakes the next morning to discover her owner joyfully hugging her. The pictures tell the real story . . . Minerva had settled herself into the judging tent and has won the blue ribbon denoting first place. Brief sentences combined with gentle humor and large, bright illustrations are ideal for read-aloud sessions. Despite being simply drawn, Minerva Louise radiates oodles of charm. This latest escapade is a delight both for newcomers and those already familiar with the plucky hen. (Picture book. 2-6)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-525-46439-5
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2000
Fun format; bland text.
A hefty board book filled with ruminations on the nature of love.
While love is the topic of this board book, it’s the inventive gatefolds and charmingly vintage illustrations that readers will fall for. Brimming with sweeping declarations along the lines of “Love is / strong. // You have my back and I’ll always have yours,” the text sounds like a series of greeting cards strung together. It’s benign enough, but are most toddlers interested in generic proclamations about love? Some statements, like the ones on “unsinkable” hippos or a panda parent holding a cub “steady,” could introduce new vocabulary. At least there’s plenty of winsome critters to fawn over as the surprisingly sturdy flaps tell dramatic little ministories for each cartoon-style animal species. A downcast baby giraffe looks longingly up at a too-high tasty branch; lift a flap to bring an adult giraffe—and the delicacy—down to the baby, or watch an adventurous young fox retreat into a fold-down–flap burrow to learn that “my heart will always be home with you.” At points, the pages are tricky to turn in the correct order, but clever touches, like a series of folds that slow readers down to a sloth’s speed, make up for it. The book concludes with a gatefold revealing a vibrant playground populated with racially and ethnically diverse humans; two are wheelchair users.
Fun format; bland text. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3153-2
Page Count: 84
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: Dec. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
Although a bit on the slight side, this offering is infused with a warm, light humor just right for cuddling up with a young...
This title previously published in the U.K. takes a cozy look at all kinds of kisses.
Walsh’s rhyming text is full of cutesy rhythms: “Kisses on noses, kisses on toes-es. Sudden kisses when you least supposes.” Sometimes the phrasing stumbles: “Who likes to kiss? I do! I do! Even the shy do. Why not try, too?” But toddlers and young preschoolers will probably not mind. They will be too engaged in spotting the lively penguin on each spread and too charmed by Abbot’s winsome illustrations that fittingly extend the wording in the story. Patient dogs queue up for a smooch from a frog prince, cool blue “ ’normous elephants” contrast strikingly with bright red “little tiny ants” and a bewildered monkey endures a smattering of lipstick kisses. Be the kiss small or tall, one to start or end the day, young readers are reminded that “the very best kiss… / is a kiss from you!” Perhaps no big surprise but comforting nonetheless.
Although a bit on the slight side, this offering is infused with a warm, light humor just right for cuddling up with a young tyke or sharing with a gathering for storytime. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Dec. 20, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2769-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2011
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