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BIRD WORDS

Name: BIRD WORDS
Author: John Yunker
ISBN: 978-1-61822-055-4

SNIPPETS AND SNAPSHOTS OF OUR FEATHERED FRIENDS

by John Yunker ; photographed by John Yunker ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2018

Unable to compete with the many strong bird books available for children

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Photographs of 50 birds, one or a pair per page, represent bird species from varying geographic areas and habitats.

The birds range from common North American species such as finches and sparrows to more exotic or remote species, including blue-footed and Nazca boobies, Galápagos hawks, Megallenic penguins, and sulphur-crested cockatoos. While the photographs are striking and serve to illustrate the range of species of birds on the Earth, the pages do not provide enough information to engage. The book begins with a few insipid lines in large type, presumably intended to appeal to beginning readers, “All birds have wings. But not all fly. Some birds swim. Others try.” Each successive page shows one bird, usually identified by a single word and an adjective, sometimes alliterative but sometimes not. The birds are not precisely identified by species or location of origin; this leads to confusion when two birds of the same family but different species are shown and only one is identified, as in “spotted towhee” and “towhee.” The descriptive adjective often seems arbitrary, not unique to that bird: “Spry Sparrow”; “Mysterious Mallard.” This book appears to be a vehicle for the author’s photography, with education a lower priority.

Unable to compete with the many strong bird books available for children . (Informational picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: March 1, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-61822-055-4

Page Count: 64

Publisher: Ashland Creek Press

Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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SAN FRANCISCO

From the My Little Cities series

by Jennifer Adams ; illustrated by Greg Pizzoli ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 18, 2017

An appropriately bright and brief introduction, probably better for younger preschoolers than toddlers.

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Tour around San Francisco in this most recent entry in the My Little Cities series; follow a young, brown-skinned child with a baseball cap and their adult as they visit iconic landmarks.

Each double-page spread shows text on the recto and an illustration on the verso. The simple text consists of rhyming couplets portraying mainly opposites in the City by the Bay: “Travel high / travel low” show them at the Golden Gate Bridge and in the San Francisco Bay Ferry in front of Alcatraz Island, respectively, while “Stop to eat / and stop to play” show them eating ice cream with the sea lions at Pier 39 and then flying a kite at the Cliff House. Simple digital collage illustrations in bright colors show them all around the city at such top attractions as Lombard Street, the Painted Ladies, and the cable cars. The diversity of the city is well-represented by smiling people, round-headed with round noses and skin of various different shades of brown. The author embraces San Francisco as a “city of parades and protest,” illustrating “Lights at night / flags in day” with the Chinese New Year parade and then a varied group of people with the letters LOVE and a rainbow flag in front of City Hall. On the final spread are brief details on the 10 landmarks featured, useful for all ages. The companion title Paris, with a similar format, features the same child and adult enjoying the City of Light.

An appropriately bright and brief introduction, probably better for younger preschoolers than toddlers. (Board book. 3-5)

Pub Date: July 18, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-4521-5391-9

Page Count: 22

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
ALL’S RIGHT WITH THE WORLD
by Jennifer Adams ; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal

- BOOK REVIEW
A BOOK, TOO, CAN BE A STAR
by Charlotte Jones Voiklis & Jennifer Adams ; illustrated by Adelina Lirius

- BOOK REVIEW
I AM A KINDNESS HERO
by Jennifer Adams ; illustrated by Carme Lemniscates

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LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

From the My First Fairy Tales series

by Amy Blay ; illustrated by Amy Blay ; translated by Susan Allen Maurin ; adapted by MaryChris Bradley ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 28, 2018

Skip.

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This board-book retelling of “Little Red Riding Hood” features colorful, retro-style illustrations and a few movable flaps.

This version of the red-caped protagonist sports a distinctive cone-shaped hood as she enacts the familiar motions of the story. The sturdy interactions include a swinging basket, a blanket that covers the wolf on Grandma’s bed, a spinner that depicts the wolf’s dreams; they give younger kids something to manipulate but do not add much to the story. There are regrettable inaccuracies and elisions in Bradley’s adaptation of Maurin’s translation of the original French text. The neck of a bottle protrudes from the basket, which readers are told contains “cake and butter” for Grandma, and the wolf wears a pair of frilly pajamas, which the text calls “one of [Grandma’s] nightgowns.” This quick story ends with the hunter shown wielding a pair of scissors on the wolf’s bulging belly as the text recounts that he “rescued Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother” (who emerge unscathed with the pull of a tab). One of the main disappointments of this shortened (but still text-heavy) version is that it skips the “Grandma, what big eyes you have!” routine. The publisher recommends an age range of “0-36 months,” which is consistent with the format but not with the audience’s developmental readiness. Companion title Pinocchio, with illustrations by Tiago Americo, is similarly awkward and unsuitable.

Skip. (Novelty board book. 3-5)