Irresistible penguin fluff and predictable, rhythmic text make this a good fit for little readers.
When Little Penguin waddles and slips, Mama Penguin provides snuggly safety.
This series follow-up to Abery and Mason’s Little Hippo (2020) features emperor penguins. Little Penguin rides his mama’s feet and eats with her (discreetly but accurately depicted) before waddling out on his own. When he slips and falls, Mama Penguin is there to clean him up and bring him back to the safe huddle of penguins. Abery’s rhythmic, rhyming text follows a repeated pattern, with the active verbs highlighted in purples and blues. There are some great vocabulary words for little readers, like preening and guzzling. The real attention-grabbers, however, are Mason’s illustrations: Fluffy Little Penguin is utterly charming, with an expressive, curious face. The snowy background has depths and layers, with deep blues, light purples, and shadowy grays. All of the images have texture: icy footprints, snow clinging to fluffy feathers. Simultaneously publishing in the Little Animal Friends series, Little Zebra follows a similar plotline. When Little Zebra wanders off, her mother guides her back to the trail. With darling African savanna friends like a gazelle and active verbs, it follows the same formula as Little Penguin. While this may feel a bit repetitive to grown-ups, little ones will enjoy the familiarity of rhythm and the echoing theme of mama keeping baby safe.
Irresistible penguin fluff and predictable, rhythmic text make this a good fit for little readers. (Board book. 6 mos.-2)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68152-741-3
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Amicus Ink
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.
Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.
This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-93809-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
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Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
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