Roaring good fun.
Outsized animals open wide, inviting younger children to do the same.
“Tiger, tiger, / is that you, / hiding in / the tall bamboo?” Six wild animals pace, glide, or slither through natural settings—seen alternately from the side and then full page and face on in images that gape with the lift of unusually large flaps to expose toothy or fanged maws and a rousing “GRRRR GRRRR” or other prompt. In addition to the tiger, readers meet a crocodile, a generic snake, a monkey, and a lion, each set against a clean background with the occasional whimsical touch (a dragonfly gives the tiger a side-eye; a frog looks nervously at the crocodile). Along with building up to repeated crescendos in her accompanying rhymes (“Such pointy teeth, / your tail so long, / such scaly scales, / and jaws / so strong”) Kerouli uses big, rounded, simplified shapes and bright color contrasts to create both instant recognition and immediate visual drama. Even with a slow reading it’s all over too soon, but the pictures are tailor-made for sharing with big groups, and all the roaring, snapping, and hissing will leave audiences of any size set for follow-up action rhymes, a round of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” or a high-volume thematic cousin like Brian McLachlan’s convention-busting What Noise Do I Make? (2016). Alas, the flaps are flimsy enough that they will not likely withstand direct use by children.
Roaring good fun. (Novelty/picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0641-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own...
The sturdy Little Blue Truck is back for his third adventure, this time delivering Christmas trees to his band of animal pals.
The truck is decked out for the season with a Christmas wreath that suggests a nose between headlights acting as eyeballs. Little Blue loads up with trees at Toad’s Trees, where five trees are marked with numbered tags. These five trees are counted and arithmetically manipulated in various ways throughout the rhyming story as they are dropped off one by one to Little Blue’s friends. The final tree is reserved for the truck’s own use at his garage home, where he is welcomed back by the tree salestoad in a neatly circular fashion. The last tree is already decorated, and Little Blue gets a surprise along with readers, as tiny lights embedded in the illustrations sparkle for a few seconds when the last page is turned. Though it’s a gimmick, it’s a pleasant surprise, and it fits with the retro atmosphere of the snowy country scenes. The short, rhyming text is accented with colored highlights, red for the animal sounds and bright green for the numerical words in the Christmas-tree countdown.
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler’s eyes. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-544-32041-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
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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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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