With or without cocoa, savor this one slowly, especially on long winter days when toddlers are stuck indoors.
Nothing much really happens in this board book, and that’s perfectly OK.
Instead, following the pattern set in previous titles in the Mindfulness Moments for Kids series, Willey, a children’s yoga-and-mindfulness musician, translates the philosophy of mindfulness into practical, everyday terms. On a chilly day, Fox, the anthropomorphic protagonist, joins a small group of friends (who are also all anthropomorphic animals) in the forest to drink hot cocoa. The text demonstrates how a simple act like enjoying a hot drink can be treated as a mindfulness exercise. Fox brings her attention to the present moment as she blows on the hot cocoa, deeply inhales the delicious aroma, then sips and savors the treat. Young readers are guided to slow their breath and breathe in and out along with Fox: “Fox blows on her hot cocoa to cool it off. Can you blow on your hot cocoa?” The simple language makes each step of the process very clear: “Slooowly blow the air out.” The animals appear distinctly meditative as they sit cross-legged with eyes closed, patiently waiting for the cocoa to grow cool. The result? “Now Fox feels warm, cozy, and calm.” The illustrations, rendered in bright, almost psychedelic colors with colored snowflakes shining in the animals’ fur, is a striking contrast to the book’s calming message.
With or without cocoa, savor this one slowly, especially on long winter days when toddlers are stuck indoors. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Dec. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-11987-7
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Rodale Kids
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2021
A joyful celebration.
Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.
The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together, frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.
A joyful celebration. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
Wonderful, indeed
A love song to baby with delightful illustrations to boot.
Sweet but not saccharine and singsong but not forced, Martin’s text is one that will invite rereadings as it affirms parental wishes for children while admirably keeping child readers at its heart. The lines that read “This is the first time / There’s ever been you, / So I wonder what wonderful things / You will do” capture the essence of the picture book and are accompanied by a diverse group of babies and toddlers clad in downright adorable outfits. Other spreads include older kids, too, and pictures expand on the open text to visually interpret the myriad possibilities and hopes for the depicted children. For example, a spread reading “Will you learn how to fly / To find the best view?” shows a bespectacled, school-aged girl on a swing soaring through an empty white background. This is just one spread in which Martin’s fearless embrace of the white of the page serves her well. Throughout the book, she maintains a keen balance of layout choices, and surprising details—zebras on the wallpaper behind a father cradling his child, a rock-’n’-roll band of mice paralleling the children’s own band called “The Missing Teeth”—add visual interest and gentle humor. An ideal title for the baby-shower gift bag and for any nursery bookshelf or lap-sit storytime.
Wonderful, indeed . (Picture book. 1-4)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-385-37671-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: June 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
