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
Didactic but very helpfully so, for both little ones and their parents.
A little boy learns to use his words.
Little ones learn the difference between indoor voices and outdoor voices in this board book. The author introduces the two before exploring a scenario in which a little boy uses his outdoor voice when he becomes frustrated. Though very simple, this approach has great potential to help kids who may get a little angry from time to time (and who doesn’t?), emphasizing the importance of words instead of tone. The bright illustrations feature multiethnic children in an early-childhood–classroom setting, each delineated with bold, black outlines. The color scheme sensitively matches the different tones on display, surrounding the shouting child with little thunderclouds against an angry orange background and a girl espousing an indoor voice with fluffy clouds against a serene blue background. The book's final pages contain tips for parents dealing with prickly toddlers, clearly marking it as a behavioral tool.
Didactic but very helpfully so, for both little ones and their parents. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-57542-500-9
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
A terrific resource for fans of Daniel Tiger and newcomers alike.
Animated PBS character Daniel Tiger helps readers tell time.
Mr. Rogers–like (explicitly—the show is produced by the Fred Rogers Co.), Daniel Tiger welcomes his neighbors, inviting them to spend the day with him and learn to use a clock along the way. A large clock face with movable hands is accessible through a large, die-cut circle in the upper-right corner of each double-page spread. The hands click and clack as they’re moved around the clock’s face, and the sound is peculiarly satisfying. Each hand has a different noise, helping children to differentiate between the two. Daniel and his family and friends do lots of things throughout the day, including eating breakfast, going to school, running errands, eating dinner, and going to bed. The illustrations emulate the show’s rounded, calmly colored style. Fans of the television show will be entranced. Daniel’s constant engagement with readers will spawn busy interaction, and the fact that this book covers a whole day makes it an excellent read right before bed.
A terrific resource for fans of Daniel Tiger and newcomers alike. (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6934-0
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Simon Spotlight
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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