A rambunctious child tries to find outlets for his surfeit of energy.
As the title implies, this little boy is into everything: Daddy’s phone, Mommy’s shoes, the kitchen appliances—you name it, he’ll fuss with it. Written in first person, Good’s text ends up coming across more like an adult’s impression of a busy child than it does the voice of a little one, and it lacks the structure necessary to deliver a complete story. Instead, the book delivers a familiar character study of the into-everything toddler. Krosoczka’s digitally assembled, multimedia art attempts to capture the protagonist’s high energy with multiple scenes showing him in midaction as he explores the world around him at a frantic pace, but the illustrations end up being largely redundant to rather than expansive of the text. Furthermore, the sequence of events has no apparent order—spreads could be rearranged without any impact on the book as a whole, expect for the ultimate, predictable closing scene that shows the child tuckered out after his busy day and fast asleep in a chair. Ultimately, Good and Krosoczka's collaboration seems to serve more as a validation for adult perceptions of toddler behavior than it acts as a story for actual toddlers to enjoy.
Not a must. read. book. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-61963-095-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2014
Categories: CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.
Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Peppa hopes to join her classmates in a Halloween pumpkin competition in this adaptation of a story from the popular British television program Peppa Pig.
With the help of Granny and Grandpa Pig, Peppa turns her giant pumpkin, which is the size of a compact car, into a jack-o’-lantern. The trio is flummoxed when it comes time to transport the pumpkin to the competition, so they call on Miss Rabbit and her helicopter to airlift the pumpkin to the festivities as Peppa and her grandparents ride inside. Peppa arrives just in time for the contest and wins the prize for best flying pumpkin. The scenes look as if they are pulled directly from the television show, right down to the rectangular framing of some of the scenes. While the story is literally nothing new, the text is serviceable, describing the action in two to three sentences per page. The pumpkin-shaped book and orange foil cover will likely attract youngsters, whether they are Peppa fans or not.
This TV rerun in board-book form has nothing new to offer. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 30, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-33922-2
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS
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