A well-curated things-that-go abecederary.
An alphabet-based vocabulary builder organized on the theme of “things that go.”
It’s tough rating one book of this sort “outstanding” in contrast to the countless similar offerings on the market, but this one rates at least a “pretty good.” The presentation is appealing in its simplicity. Each of the 26 pages features its respective letter in both upper- and lowercase; these are hand-lettered in a blocky print and colored to contrast with the background. Each letter appears with a vehicle, name clearly printed on the page; in all but one case, the vehicle begins with the corresponding letter. The bright, colorful artwork is not particularly realistic, but it hits all the right signals for easy recognition by toddlers. All of the old favorites are featured: ambulance, bulldozer, digger, and helicopter, for example, but part of the book’s appeal is in its thoughtful vocabulary-expanding selections as well. Cc is for “carriage,” for example, Ee is for “electric car,” and Gg is for “galleon,” for example. Many of the vehicles are alphabetized by modifiers that denote function (“ice-cream truck”), appearance (“jumbo jet”), or ownership (“naval ship”). Wondering about Qq and Xx? Think “Queen Mary” (the ship, not the monarch) and “express train” (the only vehicle whose name doesn’t begin with the letter it illustrates).
A well-curated things-that-go abecederary. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Dec. 24, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0815-3
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020
A passable introduction for little linebackers and half-pint halfbacks, but it will probably please football-enthusiast...
Football basics for the littlest fans.
Each football-shaped page presents American football–related photos and one to two sentences of descriptive text. Many of the images are heavily labeled and captioned with football terminology, such as “end zone,” “helmet,” “cleats,” and “penalty flag.” One of the few double-page spreads presents a bird’s-eye view of the football field and labels such elements as “pylons,” “50-yard line,” and “1-yard hash marks.” It’s anyone’s guess what toddlers will make of the play diagram crowded with X’s, O’s, and arrows. In the photos, almost all the players, who have skin tones that range from white to black, look to be male. Just enough of the basic moves and plays of football are presented for youngsters, such as passing, catching, and kicking. As the book is football-shaped with faux leather cover and imitation laces, little ones may try to throw or kick the book itself. The project ends by encouraging would-be players to have fun and go play.
A passable introduction for little linebackers and half-pint halfbacks, but it will probably please football-enthusiast caregivers more than it will their children. (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5344-0400-7
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Despite the hard board pages, this project mostly delivers as advertised.
From feathers to a fluffy bunny, a tally of all things soft for little ones.
“Soft is a feather, soft is a cloud, / soft is a whisper, soft is not loud”: So goes the rhyming text, which is accompanied by a mix of spot art and full- and double-page spreads in what looks to be a mix of velvety watercolor and pencil. A diverse cast of wide-eyed children, adult caregivers, and animals acts out the scenes. Most of the illustrations are endearing, particularly one of a brown-eyed, brown-skinned tot bottle-feeding a baby lamb and another of a black father and child enjoying a goodnight kiss on the last spread. However, a couple of scenes don’t scan well due to puzzling visuals (a white kid with long hair reclining to gaze up at the “soft” clouds in the grass with just the top of their head visible) or content (why would one hug a rose?). Nevertheless, the abundance of examples will give caregivers and children plenty of ideas for spotting softness in the world around them.
Despite the hard board pages, this project mostly delivers as advertised. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: April 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-936669-63-9
Page Count: 14
Publisher: blue manatee press
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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