With so many high-quality books on the animal-sounds bookshelf, this one’s easy to skip
Young readers are introduced to well-known animals and the sounds they make.
Sweet, whimsical illustrations in pastel colors introduce a dog, a cat, a frog, a cow, a mouse, a pig, a bird, a sheep, and a rooster, each animal having its own double-page spread. On the verso, a simple statement accompanies each depicted animal: “The cat says ‘meow’ ”; “The frog says ‘ribbit’ ”; “The pig says ‘oink.’ ” Opposite these statements, the animal is depicted performing some playful action: riding a bike, dancing, singing, dressing up as a ghost. Unfortunately, as there is neither rhyme, rhythm, nor logic to connect the two sides, the text falls flat, and readers are more likely to be left mystified than delighted. For example: “The dog says ‘woof.’ / Even when it’s riding a bike.” Or: “The cow says ‘moo.’ / Even on Halloween.” Or: “The bird says ‘tweet.’ / Even when it’s being tickled.” The result is a feeling of arbitrary silliness rather than artful whimsy. In the penultimate spread all the animals make an appearance as they wave at the readers: “They all wave to you. / Even when the book is over!” The final spread acts as a review, with pictures standing in for nouns, rebus-fashion.
With so many high-quality books on the animal-sounds bookshelf, this one’s easy to skip . (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: May 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-58536-391-9
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.
One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.
It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-553-51233-5
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Robin Corey/Random
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Perfect for Valentine’s Day, but the syrupy sweetness will cloy after the holiday.
Animal parents declare their love for their offspring in alphabetical order.
Each page displays an enormous capital letter, one line of verse with the keyword capitalized, and a loving nonhuman parent gazing adoringly at their baby. “A is for Always. I always love you more. / B is for Butterfly kisses. It’s you that I adore.” While not named or labelled as such, the A is also for an alligator and its hatchling and B is for a butterfly and a butterfly child (not a caterpillar—biology is not the aim of this title) interacting in some way with the said letter. For E there are an elephant and a calf; U features a unicorn and foal; and X, keyed to the last letter of the animal’s name, corresponds to a fox and three pups. The final double-page spread shows all the featured creatures and their babies as the last line declares: “Baby, I love you from A to Z!” The verse is standard fare and appropriately sentimental. The art is cartoony-cute and populated by suitably loving critters on solid backgrounds. Hearts accent each scene, but the theme of the project is never in any doubt.
Perfect for Valentine’s Day, but the syrupy sweetness will cloy after the holiday. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-2095-6
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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