There’s not much information, but it’s fun for a bit.
A busy board book of critters and creatures in five habitats.
Animals that live in five broadly defined and geographically unrestricted environments—forests, sun, cold, in the ocean, and in a pond—are labeled on five spreads. For example, “In the Forest” includes a deer, a panda, a monkey, a leopard, and a sloth—animals that inhabit very different woodlands and even continents. A two-line rhyme on the left invites readers to identify the dozen-plus cartoon animals in each category. Across the bottom of each spread, thumbnail drawings spotlight eight animals and include questions to encourage study of the larger picture. Two animals on each spread are equipped with sound-producing buttons. The owl and tiger on the front cover are also singled out with sound buttons, making a total of 12 embedded sounds. Because the sound buttons are always on the recto, even young children quickly learn to search there, with the result that the animals on the left may be ignored. Differentiating ocean creatures from pond dwellers makes sense, though the difference between salt- and freshwater habitats is not mentioned. The purpose here is simply to name the animals. Bright, busy backgrounds, small pictures, and the large number of animals shown per page make this best for one-on-one sharing.
There’s not much information, but it’s fun for a bit. (Board book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 14, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68010-685-5
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
A clever conceit but a bland execution.
In this minimalist Australian import, readers are encouraged to guess animals based on select written and visual clues.
On each recto, readers see the hindquarters of an animal, and three simple clues ask them to guess what kind of animal they may belong to. “I have long furry ears and a small nose. / I live in a burrow in the ground. / I have a white fluffy tail. / I AM A….” The splashy watercolor rear legs and tail are ambiguous enough that they may have readers second-guessing the obvious answer. Turning the page, however, readers discover both the well-defined front half of the animal and the animal’s name: “RABBIT.” Canty uses stock 19th-century animal illustrations layered with watercolor enhancements, creating a somber yet surprising tone. Two tailless animals, a frog and human readers, are included in the roster, making the “tails” referenced in the title symbolic rather than literal. Two red herrings, the image of a mouse between the clues for and image of an elephant and (inexplicably) a squirrel leading to a giraffe, fall flat, with no other cues to young readers that they are jokes. The quirky illustrations, earthy colors, and lack of exhibited enthusiasm will make this book’s audience a niche one. There is no backmatter.
A clever conceit but a bland execution. (Informational picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Oct. 23, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0033-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
Genial starter nonfiction.
Panels activated by sliding tabs introduce youngsters to the human body.
The information is presented in matter-of-fact narration and captioned, graphically simple art featuring rounded lines, oversized heads and eyes, and muted colors. The sliding panels reveal new scenes on both sides of the page, and arrows on the large tabs indicate the direction to pull them (some tabs work left and right and others up and down). Some of the tabs show only slight changes (a white child reaches for a teddy bear, demonstrating how arms and hands work), while others are much more surprising (a different white child runs to a door and on the other side of the panel is shown sitting on the toilet). The double-page spreads employ broad themes as organizers, such as “Your Body,” “Eating Right,” and “Taking Care of Your Body.” Much of the content is focused on the outside of the body, but one panel does slide to reveal an X-ray image of a skeleton. While there are a few dark brown and amber skin tones, it is mostly white children who appear in the pages to demonstrate body movements, self-care, visiting the doctor, senses, and feelings. The companion volume, Baby Animals, employs the same style of sliding panels to introduce youngsters to little critters and their parents, from baboons to penguins.
Genial starter nonfiction. (Board book. 2-5)Pub Date: March 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-2-40800-850-5
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Twirl/Chronicle
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
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BOOK REVIEW
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