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I SAY OOH YOU SAY AAH

Name: I SAY OOH YOU SAY AAH
Author: John Kane
ISBN: 978-1-61067-711-0

by John Kane ; illustrated by John Kane ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2018

A cockeyed call and response that can’t be read just once.

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Interactive picture books have rarely been so goofy (or so full of underpants).

The first instruction on Page 1: “When I say / OOH / you say / AAH / as loudly as you can.” The second instruction is to pat your head if you see red, and the third is to shout “UNDERPANTS” if you see an ant. After a couple of pages of ants and an admonishment to avoid such rudeness, the narrator introduces a donkey named OOH. The loud “AAH” that surely results (because you are following instructions) scares OOH away. When he returns there is an ant on his nose, but the narrator can’t identify it and asks what it is. The response (you’re still following the rules) elicits a dubious “Donkeys don’t wear UNDERPANTS.” OOH returns, and he looks sad; he’s lost something…what could it be? Ants on the next couple of pages will have readers insisting it is underpants. When OOH finds some pink, frilly undies, if readers follow the next instruction (say your name if you see a cloud), they will find themselves claiming those undies as a large, white cloud dominates the next, wordless spread. Kane’s invitation to silliness will, with a willing audience, lead to loads of laughter (and some pretty loud storytimes). The bright, simple, digitally created illustrations alternate with pages of plain text instructions (much of it in all-caps) to complete the package.

A cockeyed call and response that can’t be read just once. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 1, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-61067-711-0

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Kane Miller

Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
THE HUMAN ALPHABET
by Pilobolus & illustrated by John Kane

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THE NIGHT IS YOURS

by Abdul-Razak Zachariah ; illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 2, 2019

Vital messages of self-love for darker-skinned children.

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On hot summer nights, Amani’s parents permit her to go outside and play in the apartment courtyard, where the breeze is cool and her friends are waiting.

The children jump rope to the sounds of music as it floats through a neighbor’s window, gaze at stars in the night sky, and play hide-and-seek in the moonlight. It is in the moonlight that Amani and her friends are themselves found by the moon, and it illumines the many shades of their skin, which vary from light tan to deep brown. In a world where darkness often evokes ideas of evil or fear, this book is a celebration of things that are dark and beautiful—like a child’s dark skin and the night in which she plays. The lines “Show everyone else how to embrace the night like you. Teach them how to be a night-owning girl like you” are as much an appeal for her to love and appreciate her dark skin as they are the exhortation for Amani to enjoy the night. There is a sense of security that flows throughout this book. The courtyard is safe and homelike. The moon, like an additional parent, seems to be watching the children from the sky. The charming full-bleed illustrations, done in washes of mostly deep blues and greens, make this a wonderful bedtime story.

Vital messages of self-love for darker-skinned children. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: July 2, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-525-55271-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Dial Books

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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PILLOWLAND

by Laurie Berkner ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 7, 2017

For Berkner’s fans; there are much better books about children visiting imaginative lands.

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Berkner’s children’s song gets the picture-book treatment with illustrations from Garoche.

What kid hasn’t made a massive pillow fort and imagined all sorts of adventures? Well, Berkner’s premise is that there is a land where everything is made of pillows, and three lucky children get to visit there. (They appear to be siblings, perhaps a blended family: Mom and one girl are black; Dad, one boy, and one girl are white.) The illustrations transition between depictions of obvious imaginative play in a bedroom to a fantasy world and back again at the end, when the parents peek in at the three asleep. Garoche’s art consists of photos of papercut artwork arranged in dioramas with some Photoshop details. Reminiscent of Michael Garland’s work (though more pastel in color) or that of Elly McKay (though less ethereal), the illustrations are a mixed bag, with layers and hard edges juxtaposed against all the pillows. The king and queen of the song are obviously stand-ins for the parents. Children who know the tune may not sit still for a reading, while those who don’t may wonder at the repeated refrain.

For Berkner’s fans; there are much better books about children visiting imaginative lands. (Picture book. 3-7)