A visually impressive, mostly well-executed offering.
The life cycle of a frog is shown with illustrations and minimal words in this picture book.
Continuing the format and style of her previous books (Hop, 2015, etc.)—one word per double-page spread and crisp, matte illustrations—Hurley’s new book illustrates the life cycle of a leopard frog. The book begins with an illustration of a cluster of frog’s eggs and the word “wait.” Next is “hatch,” as the illustration shows a tadpole emerging. Eating, avoiding being eaten, metamorphosing from a tadpole to a frog all follow in their proper order. A seasonal clue arrives with “hibernate,” and the illustration shows the frog nestled into the mud of a pond, which is covered in ice and snow. When Hurley reaches the mating part of the frog’s life cycle, however, she veers from her unambiguous delivery and uses the word “ribbit” to indicate breeding. While the author’s note at the end of the story tells readers that frogs do most of their croaking when looking for a mate, this side-stepping on “ribbit,” especially when juxtaposed against the book’s otherwise straightforwardness, strikes an off note. A vertical gatefold is successful, as it gives an appreciated twist to the one-word-per-double-spread format. The book’s overall design is impeccable in its spare way, but the author’s note is essential to fill in the blanks.
A visually impressive, mostly well-executed offering. (Informational picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-3274-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2016
Who knew that turning the pages could be the best part of a book?
The concept of this picture book is simple enough: 10 birds topple, slip, and dive their way off the titular twig until there is one left. The text itself echoes familiar singsong-y children’s rhymes like “Five Little Pumpkins.” While it mostly succeeds, there are some awkward spots: “5 on a twig, there used to be more… / SNAP! Don’t say a word, now there are four.” (On each page the number is both spelled out and represented as a numeral). The real scene stealer, however, is the book’s interplay between Cole’s illustrations and the physical pages themselves. In much the same way Eric Carle utilizes the pages in The Very Hungry Caterpillar to show the little critter eating its way through the week, Cole uses pages of increasing width to show how the twig grows shorter as each bird falls and marches off purposefully with the others, all headed toward verso with pieces of twig in their beaks. Stylistically, the book is captivating. The very colorful, egg-shaped birds appear on a single, thin black line on a stark white background. This backdrop stands in powerful contrast to the book’s final two pages, which are set against black negative space, a theme echoed in the book’s feather-print endpapers. The heavy, thick pages make it easy for little hands to participate. The text takes a back seat to the playful and compelling design, which is sure to delight readers.
Who knew that turning the pages could be the best part of a book? (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-72821-593-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
Instills a sense of well-being in youngsters while encouraging them to explore the natural world.
This reassuring picture book exemplifies how parents throughout the animal kingdom make homes for their offspring.
The narrative is written from the point of view of a parent talking to their child: “If you were a beaver, I would gnaw on trees with my teeth to build a cozy lodge for us to sleep in during the day.” Text appears in big, easy-to-read type, with the name of the creature in boldface. Additional facts about the animal appear in a smaller font, such as: “Beavers have transparent eyelids to help them see under water.” The gathering of land, air, and water animals includes a raven, a flying squirrel, and a sea lion. “Home” might be a nest, a den, or a burrow. One example, of a blue whale who has homes in the north and south (ocean is implied), will help children stretch the concept into feeling at home in the larger world. Illustrations of the habitats have an inviting luminosity. Mature and baby animals are realistically depicted, although facial features appear to have been somewhat softened, perhaps to appeal to young readers. The book ends with the comforting scene of a human parent and child silhouetted in the welcoming lights of the house they approach: “Wherever you may be, you will always have a home with me.”
Instills a sense of well-being in youngsters while encouraging them to explore the natural world. (Informational picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-63217-224-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little Bigfoot/Sasquatch
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
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