by Kristine O'Connell George & illustrated by Maggie Smith ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 15, 2001
A flat and square gift yielding a brand-new book turns out to be all the entertainment that one young boy needs for a full day of fun. Even when he has finished looking at the pictures and reading it, the boy discovers many other things to do: “I can read you to the cat / or upside down, or maybe / wear you like a hat!” The exuberance of the last few pages will have young listeners shouting along with this little guy. “We’ll read you warm and snug, / Book! / I’ll give you a hug, Book! / Open wide. / Look inside. / Book!” Vibrantly colored illustrations are ideal for young readers with great washes of color and bold lines that bleed off the edge of the heavy, card-stock pages. A treat that will have everyone who hears it enjoying his or her own books just a little bit more, as well as inspiring the newbies. (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2001
ISBN: 0-395-98287-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
Share your opinion of this book
Did you like this book?
More by Kristine O'Connell George
BOOK REVIEW
by Kristine O'Connell George & illustrated by Lauren Stringer
BOOK REVIEW
by Kristine O'Connell George & illustrated by Hiroe Nakata
BOOK REVIEW
by Kristine O'Connell George & illustrated by Barry Moser
by Christopher Silas Neal ; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 27, 2018
You think you know shapes? Animals? Blend them together, and you might see them both a little differently!
What a mischievous twist on a concept book! With wordplay and a few groan-inducing puns, Neal creates connections among animals and shapes that are both unexpected and so seemingly obvious that readers might wonder why they didn’t see them all along. Of course, a “lazy turtle” meeting an oval would create the side-splitting combo of a “SLOW-VAL.” A dramatic page turn transforms a deeply saturated, clean-lined green oval by superimposing a head and turtle shell atop, with watery blue ripples completing the illusion. Minimal backgrounds and sketchy, impressionistic detailing keep the focus right on the zany animals. Beginning with simple shapes, the geometric forms become more complicated as the book advances, taking readers from a “soaring bird” that meets a triangle to become a “FLY-ANGLE” to a “sleepy lion” nonagon “YAWN-AGON.” Its companion text, Animal Colors, delves into color theory, this time creating entirely hybrid animals, such as the “GREEN WHION” with maned head and whale’s tail made from a “blue whale and a yellow lion.” It’s a compelling way to visualize color mixing, and like Animal Shapes, it’s got verve. Who doesn’t want to shout out that a yellow kangaroo/green moose blend is a “CHARTREUSE KANGAMOOSE”?
Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0534-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
Share your opinion of this book
Did you like this book?
More by Kate Messner
BOOK REVIEW
by Kate Messner ; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
BOOK REVIEW
by Kate Gardner ; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
BOOK REVIEW
by Kate Messner ; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
by Christopher Franceschelli ; illustrated by Peskimo ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 5, 2014
Shaped pages help youngsters count to 10 and beyond.
Two stylish double-page spreads are devoted to each number one through 10 and then, counting by 10s, to 100. In the first spread, the right-hand side is a page-high, die-cut numeral that spills off the page; to its left, a squirrel holds an acorn. With the turn of the page, there’s a transformation. “One acorn becomes… / one oak tree!” A portion of the object, animal or person being altered is visible through the die-cut openings; a sand castle peeks through the “0” of the number 10, for instance. Once the page is turned, the background from the previous left-hand page merges with the full double-page spread. As in the earlier Alphablock (2013), the helpfulness of these visual hints is uneven. After 10, 20 caterpillars become 20 butterflies, 30 baskets of cucumbers become 30 jars of pickles, and 40 eggs become 39 chicks and one dinosaur. The whole shebang ends with 100 puzzle pieces fitting together into “one big puzzle!” in the book’s only double gatefold. Peskimo’s muted color palette and droll cartoon style works well with the playful concept. The same worries about the binding that arose with Alphablock are an issue here, but the conceit will likely appeal to older children anyway.
An inventive and extensive counting experience that will delight youngsters. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4197-1374-3
Page Count: 94
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
Share your opinion of this book
Did you like this book?
More In The Series
by Christopher Franceschelli ; illustrated by Peskimo
by Christopher Franceschelli ; illustrated by Peskimo
by Lucasfilm Ltd. ; illustrated by Peskimo
More by Christopher Franceschelli
BOOK REVIEW
by Christopher Franceschelli ; illustrated by Allison Black
BOOK REVIEW
by Christopher Franceschelli ; illustrated by Allison Black
BOOK REVIEW
by Christopher Franceschelli ; illustrated by Peskimo
© Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
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
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.