Those who are making the transition from diapers are sure to laugh, though it doesn’t really stand out from the other books...
A survey of underwear and opposites is leavened (as if talk of underwear needs to be made funnier) by anthropomorphized veggies.
There’s not much story here, though for kids who giggle at the merest mention of unmentionables, that won’t be an issue. Basically, a stalk of broccoli sheds his shirt and shorts on the copyright and dedication pages and then launches into a spiel about underwear. “I wear underwear! / You wear underwear! // … // There’s big underwear / and little underwear.” Underwear can also be dirty or clean, old or new, serious or funny, for boys or for girls, and for every day of the week. But though the colors and patterns may vary, apparently underwear cannot be boxers, and sadly, there’s no underwear for babies, who wear diapers. Different colors highlight opposites in the all-caps text, though not all these words indicate opposites, per se—the days of the week are in rainbow hues. Chapman’s digital artwork features brightly colored veggie characters with stick arms and legs against white backgrounds. Simple props provide context (like the flies around the hamper), while a red, dashed line indicates movement. Front endpapers introduce the clothes-wearing veggies, while closing endpapers show them in their underwear (or not, as is the case for Pea).
Those who are making the transition from diapers are sure to laugh, though it doesn’t really stand out from the other books in the underwear drawer. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: April 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4197-1464-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2015
This farm book doesn’t make it to the top of the haystack.
Three cute Caucasian kids pull on their brightly colored rain boots and head to the car for a trip to the farm with Mom and Dad.
As well as identifying all the buildings and different parts of the farm, the kids get to hang out with the animals, feeding ducks and chickens, collecting eggs, picking tomatoes, milking the cow, picking fruit, petting a donkey, playing in the hay, driving a tractor and stopping for a relaxing country picnic. The brightly colored pages illustrating their inevitable adventures (stepping in the muck; being chased by a goat) are interspersed with cleanly drawn vocabulary pages showing pond animals and plants, fruits, vegetables, crops and farm machinery. Neatly done, although not outstanding among the vast number of picture books with similar intent, this picture book feels a bit like paint by numbers, and some parents may be prone to an extra yawn or two at bedtime. However, the flat, bright colors and clear, readable text will be attractive to the very young. Parents and children will like the board book’s rounded corners. Folks in rural areas should be aware that one picture shows a child sitting on an untacked pony’s back.
This farm book doesn’t make it to the top of the haystack. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 15, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-926973-76-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 26, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Toddlers familiar with the Disney movies or with obliging parents who can help them connect the dots may get something out...
A toddler-sized version of the classic fairy tale.
With one or two words per page, this board book presents the barest bones of the princess’ story. Characters are labeled and plot points shared in brightly colored scenes. While the princess does celebrate a birthday and prick her finger on a spindle, it will seem to most toddler readers that not much happens. She takes a long nap, the prince comes and wakes her up, and everyone at the palace has a party. Three others in the series publish simultaneously and follow a similar format. Rapunzel has also had the scary bits removed, and it looks like the heroine simply gets a haircut and then takes a walk in the woods before meeting her prince. In Beauty and the Beast, the book-loving young girl befriends a purple-horned lion, a fellow bibliophile, who turns into a prince with purple hair. In The Little Mermaid, the mermaid enjoys an adventure with legs on dry land with a friendly prince. The ending is vague here, but it would appear as if the heroine returns home to her family with scales intact. This quartet, which follows the previously published Snow White and Cinderella (2012), features stylized cartoons of characters with oversized heads against brightly colored backgrounds. The cover of each offering includes tactile glitter embellishments.
Toddlers familiar with the Disney movies or with obliging parents who can help them connect the dots may get something out of these summarized versions, but, like Sleeping Beauty’s fairies, the plots are going to fly right over the heads of most board-book readers. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: May 7, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9791-7
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
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