From amphibians to earthworms, there’s plenty here to foster an interest in the natural world.
Age-appropriate science in an appealing pop-up format.
This book conveys a surprising amount of information through clear and easily digested statements and clever, eye-catching pop-up designs. The book is presented in a series of two-page tableaux organized by topic: “Little Life Forms,” “Caterpillars/Butterflies,” “Frogs,” “Spiders,” “Bees,” “Creepy Crawlies,” “Ants,” and “At Night.” The artwork is representational rather than realistic, with the various bugs, frogs, and other creatures mildly anthropomorphized, with big, happy faces and friendly smiles. The three-dimensional pop-up aspect of the book is a key central feature, adding greatly to the fun. A tree in the middle of the first spread pops out at readers; within holes at its midsection and by the roots they see a sleeping owl and a baby mole, respectively. A bird feeds its young in their nest upon one branch; on another, bees buzz busily at their (inaccurately represented) hive. Elsewhere, a spider swings down on its web from a tree limb, or a beetle scuttles out from beneath a log. All of the pop-ups are cleverly executed, adding dimension and motion without ever requiring kids to pull a single tab—which should greatly increase the life expectancy of the book. Even the text teems with life, at times floating in the breeze, drifting in the water, or following the contours of a crawling caterpillar. Companion title Explore the Shore follows the same format to explore a coastal ecosystem.
From amphibians to earthworms, there’s plenty here to foster an interest in the natural world. (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68010-618-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A mix of fabs and flubs, but there are plenty of opportunities for interactive play nonetheless, at least as long as the...
Cardboard tools for budding carpenters.
Each of the five heavy-duty press-out tools can be put to immediate use—turning screws on the page opposite the screwdriver, for instance, or making a satisfying “whoopa-whoopa” by sliding the saw through five adjacent die-cut slots. It’s not going to be quite so easy, though, to measure “1 board” when the accompanying slotted tape measure has no numbers on it (and is also shorter than the board and very sticky and hard to work, to boot). Readers are encouraged to use the wrench to “tighten 2 nuts,” but those nuts are on smooth posts rather than threads, so they simply spin fruitlessly rather than tightening. The four flat “nails” that can be hammered into slots are small enough to make the toddler advisory on the rear cover a necessity, too. Still, the tools and other pieces are large enough for post-toddlers to wield easily, and they offer tantalizing previews of what handling real tools will be like. The book closes with an encouraging “Good job using your tools!”
A mix of fabs and flubs, but there are plenty of opportunities for interactive play nonetheless, at least as long as the parts stay with the book. (Novelty board book. 3-5)Pub Date: March 13, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2929-4
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Skimpy with just six spreads but, like its companions, a simple, serene seasonal posy.
Carter completes his round of seasonal tributes with pop-up sprays of luscious-looking small fruits, garden bounty, and bright flowers.
As before, the locale is a generalized western United States, and both early- and late-season flora and foliage are on display in the same scenes. Along with lots of labels for the neatly limned animals and vegetation in each broad, idyllic landscape—from a “cedar waxwing” nibbling on a “cherry” to the marbled-paper “chickens” pecking beneath a tree heavy with ripe apples—he adds leading questions (“Who eats the flowers?” “Who looks like a stick?”) to invite closer looks. Frisky “chipmunks” are named in the first tableau, then visible without an identifier in each of the following five for younger viewers to point out. Highlighted by a spiraling cucumber vine that turns the vegetable garden into a convincing tangle, the pop-ups are simple and (relatively) sturdy but rear gracefully to surprising heights considering the volume’s small trim size.
Skimpy with just six spreads but, like its companions, a simple, serene seasonal posy. (Informational pop-up picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 24, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2832-7
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
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