Lends itself nicely to follow a certain action rhyme about baking! (Picture book. 1-3)
A diverse cast of toddlers use their hands in all different ways to eat a snack.
“Ten little fingers, one hand…two. / Two small hands belong to you!” The toddlers spy a cake and want to gobble it all up. One little white tot with a mop of curly blonde hair eagerly points one finger to the treat. An East-Asian youngster (judging by haircut) taps two fingers on an empty plate, clearly indicating where this cake should go. “Three little fingers pinch a bite. / Four little fingers squish it tight.” Counting from one to 10, the toddlers finish their snack (spilling some milk in the process, of course), but after 10 fingers clap in celebration…it’s time for more! With one tiny finger in the air and an impish grin, a brown-skinned mite with two fuzzy black pigtails pleads one more piece. There’s plenty of opportunity for interaction and cuddles as Dempsey encourages readers to “Count each finger one by one” and then kiss them when they’re done. Multiethnic, round-headed, chubby-handed babies want more, more, more.
Lends itself nicely to follow a certain action rhyme about baking! (Picture book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0229-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2016
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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
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.
This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.
Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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