A reassuring promise for timorous toddlers with special squishes of their own.
A first backyard campout can be very scary…even for dinosaurs.
As in Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug (2019), Fleck and Stutzman really bring the cute—outfitting the anxious, square-headed narrator and stegosaurian pal Pointy in fuzzy onesies (Pointy’s actually patterned with dinos…awww) while Tiny, clutching plush bear Bob (“my special squish”) frets about how Grumbles and Nom-bies come out when there are no “nighty-lights.” Distrusting Tiny’s mom’s claim that there are always lights shining somewhere, the campers haul out lamps from the house and festoon the trees around their blanket tent with strings of colored bulbs. Now those Crawly-creeps don’t stand a chance. But the relief only lasts until a fuse blows, and a page turn brings sudden, total darkness. What now? Maybe, together, the two can be brave enough to open their eyes and look for lights? They are, and when they do, there is the shining moon and a sky filled with glimmering stars. Tiny’s superserious narration carries the adorableness with ease, and young readers will enjoy spotting the details that surround these anthropomorphic dinosaurs. The Grumbles and Nom-bies are revealed to be Tiny’s snoring and snacking parents, respectively, which should kindle recognition in many mammalian readers.
A reassuring promise for timorous toddlers with special squishes of their own. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4521-7034-3
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2019
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BOOK REVIEW
Young dino fans will enjoy it, though their grown-ups may not.
What sounds did dinosaurs make? We don't really know.
Litton suggests some possibilities while introducing sophisticated vocabulary in a board-book format. Five dinosaurs are featured: Tyrannosaurus rex, Stegosaurus, Pterodactyl, Diplodocus, and Triceratops. For each species there is a brief description that highlights its distinctive features, followed by an invitation to hear and repeat the dinosaur's sound. There is no explanation for why scientists think T. Rex “roared,” Stegosaurus “howled,” Pterodactyl “screeched,” Diplodocus “growled,” or Triceratops “grunted.” The author tries to avoid sexism, carefully referring to two of the creatures as “she,” but those two are also described in stereotypically less-ferocious terms than the male dinos. The touch point on the Pterodactyl is a soft section of wing. Readers are told that Diplodocus “loved splashing in swamps,” and the instruction is to “tickle her tummy to hear her growl,” implying that this giant creature was gentle and friendly. None of this may matter to young paleontologists, who will enjoy finding the tactile section on each creature that triggers the sound. Despite extensive directions in small print, most parents and libraries won't bother to change the battery secured by a tiny hex screw, but while the battery lasts, the book will get lots of play.
Young dino fans will enjoy it, though their grown-ups may not. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-58925-207-3
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
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
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