Simple and sweet.
In this latest series installment, the titular character decides that today is “a good day to be a truck driver.”
Accompanied by his monkey sidekick, Little Hippo is on a mission to take sand to the little cubs—“vroom! vroom!” To find out who the lucky little cubs are, young readers will have to wait a bit. Meanwhile, Little Hippo gets plenty of help along the way. Giant Crocodile helps fill the truck with sand—“snap! snap!” A herd of zebras make way so Little Hippo can get through, and Big Hairy Gorilla offers bananas to the hungry duo. Great Horned Rhino removes a log blocking the way, and Long Neck Giraffe stretches her long neck as a barrier as a train rumbles by. At every turn, Little Hippo says thank you by declaring, “You’re the best!” Eventually, the sand is delivered, and after some play, Little Hippo and the monkey head back home, where two moms await with reassuring hugs. The terrain the duo traverse is filled with fantastical vegetation with a Seussian vibe, the charming illustrations rendered in bright, saturated colors. Young readers will easily follow this uncomplicated adventure and delight at finding out how it wraps up. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Simple and sweet. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-63592-589-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Astra Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original...
A sweetened, condensed version of the best-selling picture book, The Kissing Hand.
As in the original, Chester Raccoon is nervous about attending Owl’s night school (raccoons are nocturnal). His mom kisses him on the paw and reminds him, “With a Kissing Hand… / We’ll never be apart.” The text boils the story down to its key elements, causing this version to feel rushed. Gone is the list of fun things Chester will get to do at school. Fans of the original may be disappointed that this board edition uses a different illustrator. Gibson’s work is equally sentimental, but her renderings are stiff and flat in comparison to the watercolors of Harper and Leak. Very young readers will probably not understand that Owl’s tree, filled with opossums, a squirrel, a chipmunk and others, is supposed to be a school.
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original shouldn’t look to this version as replacement for their page-worn copies. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-933718-77-4
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Tanglewood Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
For toddlers unafraid of typical Halloween imagery.
A troop of cats traverse a spooky landscape as they make their way to a party hosted by ghosts.
Each double-page spread shows the felines’ encounters with the likes of an owl, jack-o’-lanterns or a bat. One or two of these creepy meetings may be too abstract for the youngest readers, as the cats hear eerie noises with no discernible source on the page. The text, which consists of one rhyming couplet per scene, mostly scans despite a couple of wobbles: “Five black cats get a bit of a scare / As the flip-flapping wings of a bat fill the air.” The sleek, slightly retro art, likely created using a computer, depicts the cats cavorting at night through a shadowy cityscape, the countryside and a haunted house; they may scare some toddlers and delight others. A brighter color palette would have given the project a friendlier, more universal appeal. Luckily, the well-lit, final party scene provides a playful conclusion.
For toddlers unafraid of typical Halloween imagery. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-58925-611-8
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
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