Hinged flaps and other devices allow a bevy of circus performers to demonstrate opposites.
An unmitigated flop from beginning to end, this uninspired show invites readers beneath the big top to see one windup bird and a white-skinned human cast—stereotypically similar-looking men with bristling facial hair and a sad-faced woman who performs twice with her eyes closed—unexcitingly go from “Here” to “There, “Down” to “Up,” or (arbitrarily abandoning the general premise) “Wet” to “Dry” beneath a shower of rain. A die-cut daisy chain intended to transform a “Few” acrobats into “Many” when flipped is a paper-engineering fail, as all of the figures are plainly visible even when the flap is closed, and instead of going from “Low” to “High” when her accordion-folded platform is extended upward, a juggler confusingly starts “Short” and ends up “Tall.” At the close the ringmaster takes a “Quiet” bow, then bellows “I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE SHOW!” Unlikely.
More like the Greatest Snooze on Earth, particularly next to Suse MacDonald’s effervescent Circus Opposites (2010) (Novelty. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7636-9554-5
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Big Picture/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 6, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2017
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS
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A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.
A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A rhyming celebration of imagination.
A child with brown skin offers gentle, artful ideas about what to do with autumn leaves. The picture book's idyllic setting seems Northeastern in nature, with deciduous trees shedding leaves, which the child scoops up. Could a leaf from a tree become a hat, a Halloween mask, a hammock, or something else entirely? "It could be a horn that blows, announcing that we're here. // A leafy parade to celebrate our favorite time of year." Rhyme rules the text but isn't forced in the least. Collaged leaves against painted illustrations encourage play and imagination. A nod to winter and spring make this a year-round read. Endpapers with realistic labeled images of leaves provide an injection of information in this otherwise dreamy musing. The backmatter includes instructions on collaging—a meaningful and fun activity that builds upon the text. While there's nothing groundbreaking here, there is opportunity for both learning and whimsy. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A sweet, poetic ode to autumn. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-30659-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House Studio
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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