With tracing, flaps, rhymed text, and farm scenes, there is an awful lot going on, and adult readers may wish to skim some...
Down on the farm, little fingers can trace shapes and open flaps.
On every other double-page spread, readers are encouraged to trace a variety of lines debossed into the board pages. Below the tracing feature, youngsters can lift a flap and locate the same pattern just painted in an image beneath. On the following double-page spread, these traceable lines appear again in the context of a larger farm scene. For example, readers can trace a zigzag line. Underneath, kids can locate the zigzag pattern on the jagged edge of the chick’s shell, and, below the flap, the zigzag appears again in a pattern on a dog’s collar. All of this is repeated on the next double-page spread, and this time, readers can draw the zigzag in the chick’s shell in a busy scene. Often forced rhyming couplets accompany the illustrations, instructing readers to trace this or that pattern; with the dotted lines showing the direction to trace, these directions feel superfluous. The variety of shapes for tracing will be helpful for little ones engaging in pre-writing activities, particularly traceable circles, loops, zigzags, and straight lines. Youngsters will enjoy the final spread, featuring a tractor’s long trail for readers to follow.
With tracing, flaps, rhymed text, and farm scenes, there is an awful lot going on, and adult readers may wish to skim some elements to keep from overwhelming children . (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-58925-220-2
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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
Perfect for every underdog who wants to have a say.
A dog-loving child encourages a less-than-enthusiastic younger one to imagine they’re both canines.
From the first declaration—“I’d be a big dog! And you’d be a little one!”—readers know who’s calling the shots. Initially, the protagonists cavort off the page and through the neighborhood together, performing doggy capers such as tail wagging, stick carrying, and dirt digging. But by the time they encounter a multitude of like-minded creatures at the dog park, the disgruntled small pup is exhibiting out-and-out rebellion: “Being a dog is YOUR idea! Sometimes I HAVE IDEAS TOO!” The narrative wraps up with the younger child pretending to be a different animal entirely—cleverly foreshadowed through subtle details in the illustrations. Even the endpapers—lively silhouettes of dogs in the beginning and many different animals in closing—extend the theme to suggest the imaginative possibilities of pretend play. Cheerful, lightly hued colors fit the whimsical mood, while expressive body language allows the art to tell the story with a minimum of words. Ending on a surprising note, with a sweet compromise between the two main characters, the tale gives both kids the freedom to embrace their own preferences and styles—while still enjoying their game.
Perfect for every underdog who wants to have a say. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9780316581721
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2025
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