by José Carlos Andrés ; illustrated by Gómez ; translated by Cecilia Ross ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 6, 2022
Underwear proves underwhelming in this weak attempt at eliciting preschool giggles.
The only thing worse than a haunting? A putrid, odiferous undergarment haunting!
The mostly human denizens of Scaryville, representing a range of skin tones, have a ghost problem. Whether they’re at the movies or just trying to sit down to dinner, the ghost with the smelly old underwear, its knickers clearly in a twist, will pop out of nowhere. Something must be done, so one by one brave volunteers march into the ghost’s castle, always retreating when they encounter the haunting. Fortunately, Old Granny Fanny, a light-skinned, gray-haired woman, appears with a pair of fresh new undies for the unhappy spirit, and things take a turn for the better. Gómez’s cartoonish art has a childlike simplicity to it. Much of the plot’s heavy lifting relies on its young audience finding the repeated phrase smelly old underwear hilarious. For those who do not, the book may be a bit of a slog. Further, the text, translated from Spanish, has its share of clunky moments. For example, the citizens of Scaryville are scared, “Because there lived… // The ghost with the smelly old underwear!!!” Putting aside precisely how a ghost “lives,” disconnections between text and image include visits to “the garbage dump,” which appears to simply be a single trash bin. This tale fails to reach its potential. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Underwear proves underwhelming in this weak attempt at eliciting preschool giggles. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-84-18599-43-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NubeOcho
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
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by Larissa Hopwood & Yvonne Kusters ; illustrated by Luke Flowers ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 3, 2016
Leave this on the shelf and take the kids outside to really move.
An interactive board book promises a variety of experiences.
A book that gets kids up and moving sounds like a great idea. The half-circle cutout of the spine and large handle formed by another die cut on the right side are intriguing. Unfortunately, the rhyming instructions for using the book as an exercise prop are confusing. Even adults will find themselves puzzled when told to “paddle the floor,” or to “hang on the handles. Step over the book. / You're a turtle in its shell! Go peek out and look.” The busy pictures shift perspective according to each scenario presented but give few visual clues. For example, the only hint of a dinosaur on the page where readers are told to “put this book to your mouth and let out a roar” like a dinosaur are the teeth that line the edges of what is meant to be a gaping maw. It’s not always obvious whether the book is meant to be facing readers or turned away from them, adding another layer of confusion. Furthermore, many of the instructions run counter to how young children are typically taught to treat books, as when they are told to step on it and then waddle or to lift it with their feet. The relatively thin board pages and weak handles will soon be torn by normal handling; following the directions in the text will only hasten the destruction.
Leave this on the shelf and take the kids outside to really move. (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 3, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7611-8733-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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by Aaron Zenz ; illustrated by Aaron Zenz ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 16, 2016
Combine monsters, ridiculousness, and audience participation for a delightfully raucous result.
Though this book is all about monsters’ bedtime routines, don’t be fooled—this will induce not sleep but its opposite.
Young readers see each step the monsters take in getting ready for bed and are asked to guess which of several items they might eat for a bedtime snack, use to take a bath and brush their teeth, wear as pajamas, snuggle with, and kiss. The very simple sentences and clues in the bright illustrations allow even the youngest children to “read” this very quickly. “MONSTERS eat bedtime snacks. / Which snack do MONSTERS eat?” A glass of milk, a carrot, a piece of bread, or an umbrella? A turn of the page reveals “MONSTERS eat UMBRELLAS!” Similarly, monsters ignore the rubber ducky, shampoo, and bar of soap in favor of bathing in chocolate pudding. By the third question, most children will have caught on and will be happily blurting out the most ridiculous item on the page, which also happens to stand out clearly from the other three. Helpfully, the author breaks this pattern when it comes to potty time. In his ink, brush, and Photoshop illustrations, Zenz uses bright, plain backgrounds to keep the focus on the characters and their choices. The monsters are adorable and wonderfully diverse in all their multilimbed and -eyed glory, featuring sprouts of hair, horns, tails, and spikes.
Combine monsters, ridiculousness, and audience participation for a delightfully raucous result. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Aug. 16, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4197-1653-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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