by Kay Chorao & illustrated by Kay Chorao ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 2004
Chorao provides readers with a compelling mixture of old and new poems, songs, and rhymes in a treasury of verse that can be read for years to come. Bracketed by opening and closing verses pertaining to the beginning and end of a day, the remaining selections are loosely arranged by critter. Readers explore everything from dogs, pigs, kittens, sheep, and rodents, to bears of all sorts. She mixes traditional works with contemporary selections, offering readers a sampling of genres: Yolen’s “Grandpa Bear’s Lullaby” is followed by the toddler classic “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear.” Blake’s “The Lamb” precedes the nursery favorite “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.” Selections include a smattering of Wordsworth, Tennyson, and Shakespeare, with a modern component represented by William Wise and others. She sprinkles her illustrations with sly humor, such as in the puppy spread, where frisky pups float past on soap bubbles. A winsome assortment of cuddlesome creatures adds to the overall appeal. (Picture book. 1-5)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-525-47199-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2003
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by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Sanja Rešček ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 5, 2016
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead.
An Easter-themed board-book parody of the traditional nursery rhyme.
Unfortunately, this effort is just as sugary and uninspired as The Itsy Bitsy Snowman, offered by the same pair in 2015. A cheerful white bunny hops through a pastel world to distribute candy and treats for Easter but spills his baskets. A hedgehog, fox, mouse, and various birds come to the bunny’s rescue, retrieving the candy, helping to devise a distribution plan, and hiding the eggs. Then magically, they all fly off in a hot air balloon as the little animals in the village emerge to find the treats. Without any apparent purpose, the type changes color to highlight some words. For very young children every word is new, so highlighting “tiny tail” or “friends” makes no sense. Although the text is meant to be sung, the words don't quite fit the rhythm of the original song. Moreover, there are not clear motions to accompany the text; without the fingerplay movements, this book has none of the satisfying verve of the traditional version.
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5621-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Juliana Motzko
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by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Alison Brown
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by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Sanja Rešček
by David Elliott & illustrated by Holly Meade ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2008
Energetic woodcuts accompany playfully simple poems as they give young readers an engaging tour of the barnyard. From the usual suspects—rooster, cow, sheep—to some of the less celebrated denizens of the farm—snake, bees, turtle—each poem varies to suit its subject. The barn cat’s verse is succinct: “Mice / had better / think twice.” The snake’s winds its way down the page in sinuous shape. At their best, Elliott’s images are unexpected and all the more lovely: The turtle “Lifts her fossil head / and blinks / one, two, three / times in the awful light.” Others are not so successful, but Meade’s illustrations give them credence: The rooster “Crows and struts. / He’s got feathers! / He’s got guts!” This rhythmic but rather opaque assertion is accompanied by an oversized rooster who dominates the foreground; eyes shut in concentration, he levitates himself with the force of his crow—the very embodiment of “guts.” Farmyard books are a dime a dozen, but this one is a worthwhile addition, for those poems that reach beyond the ordinary and for the good-natured illustrations that complement them. (Picture book/poetry. 2-5)
Pub Date: March 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-7636-3322-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2008
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by David Elliott ; illustrated by Ellen Rooney
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by David Elliott ; illustrated by Evan Turk
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