While this is an imperfect lift-and-reveal in a crowded field of farm books, its clear and inviting layout will surely...
This lift-the-flap board book utilizes realistic images to introduce animals, machinery, food, and habitats around the farm.
Each double-page layout makes use of six toddler-friendly flaps, bold realistic photographs, and clear labeling. The front of each flap includes simple labels that fall under each heading. For example, the “Mommies and Babies” spread shows each of the adult animals on its own flap, while the question “Can you name the babies of these animals?” encourages readers to guess what’s beneath them. This strategy allows for versatility of use: Younger children can quickly page through, looking at and naming the pictures, while older toddlers and preschoolers can spend time answering the questions and exploring. There are some minor inconsistencies in structure within each layout: Some animals are shown with their corresponding sounds, while others aren’t, for instance. Cunliffe’s illustrations make use of photographs with digitally rendered backgrounds and enhancements. This is a meaningful approach for readers who will love throwing themselves into all of the details of the combine harvester, crop sprayer, and four-wheeler. The clever, final spread shows silhouettes of animals, creating a simple puzzle for readers to guess who is who.
While this is an imperfect lift-and-reveal in a crowded field of farm books, its clear and inviting layout will surely delight young, curious readers. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: March 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68010-539-1
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
The art and writing can stand on their own while the gimmick will likely distract anyone reading aloud even as it delights...
A cow named Cuddly searches for a quiet place to hit the hay in this book with barnyard sounds supplied in an embedded sound chip.
From the cover, toddlers can push a big green button (which doubles as a speaker) to activate the chip, which features a loud moo with other animal sounds in the background; die-cut circles in the lower corner of the cover and subsequent pages ensure its accessibility throughout. Cuddly tries to bunk with the hens, a horse, and the pigs to no avail. She has a brainstorm and counts the sheep in a field and quickly falls asleep. Scheffler, of The Gruffalo fame, uses richly colored gouache to paint scenes with friendly, wide-eyed farm residents against pastoral backgrounds. Young readers may be confused to see a very bright sky in this tale set at twilight. Each one-page scene is paired with a nicely scanning quatrain set in a large font against a brightly colored background on the opposite page. In the companion title, titular Higgly Hen loses her eggs as they hatch, legs first, and then walk away. In slapstick fashion, she chases the walking eggs around the farm until she finds them all in time for them to complete their emergence. This offering sports a large yellow button that clucks realistically when pressed. The battery can be replaced by opening a panel (with a tiny Phillips screwdriver) in the back of the book, but caregivers may choose to let the noisemaker die a natural death.
The art and writing can stand on their own while the gimmick will likely distract anyone reading aloud even as it delights little ears and fingers. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: April 25, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7636-9325-1
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Appealingly playful.
Little Mouse introduces little ones to various opposites in this lift-the-flap offering.
On the left-hand page, the cartoon mouse sets up the scene with a simple query and image: “What time is it, Little Mouse?” On the recto, the blocky text, accompanied by an image of the sun shining on the outside of the flap, reads: “It is daytime. The opposite of daytime is….” Inside the flap, with a star-spangled dark-blue night sky, is the answer: “night-time!” This pattern repeats for a total of eight opposite pairs, such as small and big, up and down, happy and sad, etc. The companion title, Counting Things, utilizes the same russet mouse for an enumeration of various items (tigers, chickens, cars, and such) up to 10. Oddly, the words for each number are written out rather than showing the more recognizable numerals. The opening of the flap cleverly adds one more to the objects being counted. Kövecses’ graphically appealing art uses stripped-down shapes in muted blocks of color to construct toddler-friendly images. The flaps are relatively sturdy with nicely rounded corners.
Appealingly playful. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-78603-038-2
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Wide Eyed Editions
Review Posted Online: Sept. 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
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