A good picture book on trains can be as pleasurable as witnessing the real thing tear the air and move the earth under your feet. London’s buoyant, this-side-of-simple rhymer falls into that class. Decked out with chunky, saturated-color artwork by Roche, the book explores different types of trains: great, sharking behemoths (“A train could be fast, / like a silvery gleam”) to chugalugs (“Or a train could be slow, / like a lazy stream”), along with the different freights they carry and the varying landscapes they inhabit, from the mysterious trainyards to the open plains. London has fun playing with language—“A train goes jiggly-rumba / on down that long track”—while Roche does a fine job shifting perspectives, keeping things animated, sometimes loopily so. And the trains are always swarming with people, giving readers a distinct sense that trains are far from untouchable, but very real things that they can engage; all they need is a ticket to ride (maybe mom and dad, too). London’s invitation flashes like a signal lantern and rings like a bell. All Aboard! (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-8050-7972-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2007
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Nighttime is the right time for young readers thanks to this perfect amalgamation of soothing text and image.
A cut-paper extravaganza welcomes young readers to the wonders of the nighttime.
The titular phrase “In the night garden” kicks off this exploration of a bedtime world. Indeed, those words repeat themselves several times as readers watch fireflies that resemble stars, the opening of perfumed moonflowers, and a black cat that acts as a guide through most of the book. Readers are led on a gentle journey past streams, crickets, and even bullfrogs croaking in the night before we see a tan-skinned child—depicted early on in the story gazing at stars—tucked into bed, yawning. Exceedingly delicate paper collages incorporate everything from ticket stubs and receipts to ledger books to make the darkness magical, the most impressive sight being the dramatically rendered harvest moon, all “fiery red” in the sky. Berger’s pen is just as adept as her scissors as she twists a turn of phrase into its simplest and most evocative form, as when “bats swoop and glide in the bluing sky.” Children are told not to fear when the light is gone or when they hear strange noises. “Just close your eyes and listen,” and young readers will do just that. Indeed, they’ll be unable to resist. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nighttime is the right time for young readers thanks to this perfect amalgamation of soothing text and image. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: July 4, 2023
ISBN: 9780823449866
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Neal Porter/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
While the likely answer is no, this offering is still a visually captivating delight for careful little ones. (Board book....
In this ABC book, shaped pages lead readers to corresponding objects.
The usual alphabet objects are presented here in the straightforward text: “A IS FOR... // APPLE.” The graphically appealing design devotes two double-page spreads to each letter. In the first spread, the right-hand side is a full-size, die-cut letter, while the left depicts a scene. A portion of the object, animal or person the featured letter stands for peeks through the die-cut openings; a cheery, red octopus smiles through the hole of the “O,” and the tail of a fish is visible from behind the “F.” Once the letter/page is turned, the background from the previous left-hand page blends seamlessly with the full double-page spread that’s revealed. The visual hints provide a playful guessing game for young readers, with a nice balance of the easily recognizable (the nose of a train emerges from behind the “T”) to the slightly more challenging (the handle of a pair of scissors sticks out from the middle of the “S”). With a pleasing, retro feel, Peskimo’s art uses bold colors in a slightly muted hue and the weathered look of woodblock prints. The book’s construction is the only real concern, as 104 board pages are a lot for any binding. Will the die-cut letters survive the vigorous page turns of doubtless eager readers?
While the likely answer is no, this offering is still a visually captivating delight for careful little ones. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4197-0936-4
Page Count: 104
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
