Give babies Mother Goose; leave mythology for later.
Like his Greek god namesake with the golden touch, toddler Midas loves yellow.
A simple, initial double-page spread with just one word on each page makes this preference clear. He chooses yellow clothes, yellow food, and then yellow paint. Left to his own devices, Midas paints everything yellow, including his green dinosaur. The look on his face when he realizes what he's done is priceless. Fortunately, Dinoboo is washable. In a welcome touch, Midas is portrayed as a little brown boy with curly hair—a decision that may help this book find an audience. The story is clever, and the lesson—be careful what you wish for—is gently delivered. But what child of true board-book age has the conceptual sophistication for life lessons and the Greek myths? The simple retelling of “Midas and the Golden Touch” at the end of the book will be lost on young children, though Holub's skill in condensing the story to its essential elements is impressive. This will appeal to adults eager to jump-start their babies, but very young children would be better served with an age-appropriate board book with simple object-naming or shape- and sound-identification activities.
Give babies Mother Goose; leave mythology for later. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: March 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4197-0952-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
There are better ways of reassuring toddlers.
A board book for adults seeking to reassure a toddler about a move to a new house.
The moving truck arrives, and a little blond toddler tumbles out; they’ve arrived at the “new house.” The book goes on to show and name in simple two-word phrases all the new things the protagonist will encounter: “new door”; “new doorstop”; “new dustpan”; “new dirt!”; “new mess!” Readers will see how the new dirt and new mess are getting spread around the “new carpet,” “new kitchen,” and “new staircase” all the way up and into the “new tub!” Up to this point it’s all sweet and endearing, but then comes “new nighttime.” The illustrations are now done in different shades of dark blue, and the shadows cast by the railing around the toddler’s crib look eerily like prison bars. “New shadows,” “new noises,” and especially “new dark!” are outright scary. Seeking to reassure the toddler that in spite of all the new things in this “new house” the important things have not changed, the text shifts to introduce the “same mommy,” “same daddy,” “same songs,” “same hugs,” “same monkey,” and “same blankey.” Yet even in the next-to-last spread, when the protagonist has now settled down and is back to sleep (“same night-night”), the illustration with its dark colors and jaillike feel does not feel comforting at all. All family members appear White.
There are better ways of reassuring toddlers. (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: Feb. 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-22492-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
A simple and delightful board book for many households.
Little ones can guess and name some of the more common human emotions.
Sweetly rendered primates, outlined in black over colored washes, invite toddlers to engage in a game of peekaboo. With the animals’ hands acting as flaps over their faces, children can open them up to reveal their varied expressions. A simple question prompts children to speculate: “How do you think I feel?” “Do you ever feel like me?” When little ones open up the hands, they can guess by the expression they see what the feeling might be. If they don’t know, their adult reader can help out by reading the answer provided on the animal’s palm: “I’m upset”; “I’m sad.” Each primate is depicted against a white background, thus keeping the focus squarely on the animal and the peekaboo game. The emotions to be explored are: happy, upset, sad, angry, scared, surprised, and silly. When children open the last pair of hands they will find a mirror in which they can see their own reflection. The statement “Show me how you feel!” prompts children to put on any expression they choose. What fun! The book doesn’t provide the name of each primate, so interested readers will have to do a little research. The hands and ears that accompany the mirror are peachy-pink, making it less than perfectly inclusive.
A simple and delightful board book for many households. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Feb. 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-6626-5038-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: minedition
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
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