A winningly simple concept executed with precision—perfect for preschool lovers of silly wordplay.
In Himmelman’s clever exploration of how young minds categorize the world, two siblings engage in a hilarious battle of semantics as they name colors and objects.
The premise is elegantly simple. Pointing to a fruit, one child insists, “That YELLOW is a banana,” while the other corrects with, “This BANANA is yellow,” launching a color-naming comedy that spirals delightfully out of control. (“This RED is an apple.” “No, that apple is RED.”) Spare, clean lines and a deliberately limited palette allow each featured hue to pop against white backgrounds. The visual storytelling shines in the characterizations of the two siblings. The younger child’s unconventional color naming drives the older one to distraction; the elder kid’s mounting frustration is brilliantly conveyed through body language and hair, which transforms from a neat ponytail into an increasingly frazzled explosion of tangles. The bare-bones artistic approach mirrors the straightforward text, creating space for preschool humor to flourish. A funny concept book is rare; even rarer is a funny concept book that generates chortles from both adults reading it aloud and the children in the audience. Young readers will recognize the authentic sibling dynamic and giggle at the linguistic confusion, while adults will appreciate the subtle lesson about perspective and language development. The repetitive structure builds comedic momentum, culminating in a satisfying resolution when both children finally come to an agreement. The kids have skin the white of the page.
A winningly simple concept executed with precision—perfect for preschool lovers of silly wordplay. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781419776809
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree.
A Christmas edition of the beloved alphabet book.
The story starts off nearly identically to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989), written by John Archambault and the late Bill Martin Jr, with the letters A, B, and C deciding to meet in the branches of a tree. This time, they’re attempting to scale a Christmas tree, not a coconut tree, and the letters are strung together like garland. A, B, and C are joined by the other letters, and of course they all “slip, slop, topple, plop!” right down the tree. At the bottom, they discover an assortment of gifts, all in a variety of shapes. As a team, the letters and presents organize themselves to get back up on the Christmas tree and get a star to the top. Holiday iterations of favorite tales often fall flat, but this take succeeds. The gifts are an easy way to reinforce another preschool concept—shapes—and the text uses just enough of the original to be familiar. The rhyming works, sticking to the cadence of the source material. The illustrations pay homage to the late Lois Ehlert’s, featuring the same bold block letters, though they lack some of the whimsy and personality of the original. Otherwise, everything is similarly brightly colored and simply drawn. Those familiar with the classic will be drawn to this one, but newcomers can enjoy it on its own.
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665954761
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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