by Joan Holub ; illustrated by Chris Dickason ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 28, 2018
Wannabe ninjas will flip over this board book’s cool vibe, awesomely frenetic art, and dual math and sharing narrative
Crafty ninjas take on both math and samurai masters to win a tasty taco treasure.
Ten young ninjas and their plucky Siamese cat are hot on the trail of some tasty grub before they lose it to a rival gang of kid samurais and their petulant pup. Chaos ensues until the ninjas’ smooth moves turn the coveted tacos into taco salad for everyone to savor, a meal that unmasks a racially diverse group of boys and girls. Underlying the rollicking adventure is a math component about fact families, with ninjas dividing into different equations that equal 10: On a lone fold-out page, “Five ninjas chop! Five do spin kicks!” It’s refreshing to see a fairly conceptually sophisticated math board book, though the ninjas occasionally clump so tightly that distinguishing how many are in each group is challenging. Illustrations are pure fun, an homage to old-school comics and arcade games, with spiky speech bubbles, motion lines, classic video-game display type, and flying projectiles that suggest that ninjas will “crash” or “swoop” in at any second. The contrast of the black-suited ninjas against the bright, complementary color scheme enhances their dynamism. With its relentless rhythm and enough punctuation that grown-ups can really ham it up, it’s a blast to read aloud.
Wannabe ninjas will flip over this board book’s cool vibe, awesomely frenetic art, and dual math and sharing narrative . (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 28, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5344-1869-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
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by Christopher Franceschelli ; illustrated by Peskimo ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 5, 2014
An inventive and extensive counting experience that will delight youngsters.
Shaped pages help youngsters count to 10 and beyond.
Two stylish double-page spreads are devoted to each number one through 10 and then, counting by 10s, to 100. In the first spread, the right-hand side is a page-high, die-cut numeral that spills off the page; to its left, a squirrel holds an acorn. With the turn of the page, there’s a transformation. “One acorn becomes… / one oak tree!” A portion of the object, animal or person being altered is visible through the die-cut openings; a sand castle peeks through the “0” of the number 10, for instance. Once the page is turned, the background from the previous left-hand page merges with the full double-page spread. As in the earlier Alphablock (2013), the helpfulness of these visual hints is uneven. After 10, 20 caterpillars become 20 butterflies, 30 baskets of cucumbers become 30 jars of pickles, and 40 eggs become 39 chicks and one dinosaur. The whole shebang ends with 100 puzzle pieces fitting together into “one big puzzle!” in the book’s only double gatefold. Peskimo’s muted color palette and droll cartoon style works well with the playful concept. The same worries about the binding that arose with Alphablock are an issue here, but the conceit will likely appeal to older children anyway.
An inventive and extensive counting experience that will delight youngsters. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4197-1374-3
Page Count: 94
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015
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by Vijaya Bodach ; illustrated by Laura Logan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 27, 2015
There is always room in the Easter basket for a counting book, and many readers may appreciate having another simple,...
A cheerful brown bunny hiding behind the edges of an Easter basket looks just as surprised as young children will be to find the chicks revealed as each egg “hatches.”
With help from a reading partner, young children are encouraged to count down the eggs as they disappear with each page turn. Alternatively, they can count up as the chicks are revealed. A simple phrase at the top of each right-hand page states the number of eggs in the basket. The line at the bottom (half of a rhyming couplet) tells how many chicks readers should look for. The numbers are spelled out, requiring young children to recognize the word instead of the more familiar numeral. On the left-hand page, the spaces previously occupied by an egg begin to fill with meadow plants and critters, eventually becoming a scene as busy and cheerful as a greeting card. This book begs to be touched. Each egg is made of shaped plastic that protrudes through die-cut holes on the verso; they can be pressed but seem to be securely anchored. The pastel chicks are lightly flocked, providing an additional tactile experience. Although the pages are thicker than paper, young fingers may find the holes a convenient way to grip (and possibly tear) the pages.
There is always room in the Easter basket for a counting book, and many readers may appreciate having another simple, nonreligious holiday book. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-74730-1
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
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