by John C. Vanden-Heuvel Sr. ; illustrated by Cristian Turdera ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 3, 2016
Despite cheery design, too abstract and uncontextualized to make code inviting for any age group, least of all the babies...
A lift-the-flap board-book introduction to HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
This brightly colored, 12-page board book seeks to introduce young readers to different types of code. Its three sections each consist of two double-page spreads: the first introduces a type of code, and the second gives various informational tidbits. The strongest section is the last one, JavaScript, which offers copious definitions and a code language that in itself is the most self-explanatory. The second section, CSS, features trivia displayed in an amusing way—namely a “Fonts” flap, under which codes for the font selection and style used on the flap are written. The initial section, HTML, the most basic webpage coding, is a bit of a train wreck. Certain parts use insufficient code (for instance, the “<a>” flap is useless without any demonstration of it in action, and the “Attributes” box references quotation marks that don’t appear, which will puzzle readers unfamiliar enough to know to look for them in the CSS section—i.e., all babies). Worst, factually incorrect information is presented—the “<img>” flap claims that an image “must have two attributes: src and alt”; while all images have a source—src—the alternative text, alt, is not necessary for the code to function.
Despite cheery design, too abstract and uncontextualized to make code inviting for any age group, least of all the babies and toddlers for whom board books are typically published. (Board book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 3, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0311-2
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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by John C. Vanden-Heuvel Sr. & Andrey Ostrovky ; illustrated by Tom Holmes
by Tim McCanna ; illustrated by Aimée Sicuro ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 18, 2020
Like its subject: full of bustling life yet peaceful.
Life buzzes in a community garden.
Surrounded by apartment buildings, this city garden gets plenty of human attention, but the book’s stars are the plants and insects. The opening spread shows a black child in a striped shirt sitting in a top-story window; the nearby trees and garden below reveal the beginnings of greenery that signal springtime. From that high-up view, the garden looks quiet—but it’s not. “Sleepy slugs / and garden snails / leave behind their silver trails. / Frantic teams of busy ants / scramble up the stems of plants”; and “In the earth / a single seed / sits beside a millipede. / Worms and termites / dig and toil / moving through the garden soil.” Sicuro zooms in too, showing a robin taller than a half-page; later, close-ups foreground flowers, leaves, and bugs while people (children and adults, a multiracial group) are crucial but secondary, sometimes visible only as feet. Watercolor illustrations with ink and charcoal highlights create a soft, warm, horticulturally damp environment. Scale and perspective are more stylized than literal. McCanna’s superb scansion never misses, incorporating lists of insects and plants (“Lacewings, gnats, / mosquitos, spiders, / dragonflies, and water striders / live among the cattail reeds, / lily pads, and waterweeds”) with description (“Sunlight warms the morning air. / Dewdrops shimmer / here and there”). Readers see more than gardeners do, such as rabbits stealing carrots and lettuce from garden boxes.
Like its subject: full of bustling life yet peaceful. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 18, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-1797-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
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by Tim McCanna ; illustrated by Grace Lee
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by Tim McCanna ; illustrated by Tim McCanna
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by Tim McCanna ; illustrated by Richard Smythe
by Drew Daywalt ; illustrated by Oliver Jeffers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 13, 2024
A droll exploration of color and nature—and a welcome reminder to safeguard our planet.
Daywalt and Jeffers’ wildly popular Crayons have an important ecological message.
Though climate change is never mentioned, the book nevertheless gently introduces responsibility for Planet Earth. As in previous titles, the main text is in a large black font, while the Crayons’ dialogue is presented in a smaller, gray font. Blue begins by showing off a blue-tinged image of the globe (land masses are depicted in a darker hue). Green takes over: “Yay, Trees! I did those!” Beige breaks in, pointing to a tiny wheat plant next to two large trees: “And wheat! I did the WHEAT!” Beige puts wheat front and center throughout—even on White’s drawing of mountaintop ice caps. When Red, Yellow, and Orange display drawings of various fruits, Beige interjects, “And WHEAT. Wheat is totally fruit.” Diplomatic Purple politely responds, “Um. NO. It is not.” Purple attempts to dissuade self-important Beige, but it all ends happily as the Crayons join hands and proclaim: “Our planet has all of us too, in many shapes, colors, and sizes.” Beige and Purple reconcile, with Beige adding, “And it’s our job to keep the planet safe.” Young children will easily absorb this positive message. Although these characters have had many outings, their quiet humor still succeeds, and fans will definitely want this new entry.
A droll exploration of color and nature—and a welcome reminder to safeguard our planet. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593621080
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
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by Drew Daywalt ; illustrated by Alex Willmore
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by Drew Daywalt ; illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
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by Drew Daywalt ; illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
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