Sweet, unpretentious, and, of course, more fun together.
Good times are best shared with friends in this board book that offers more than meets the eye.
Five friendly animals and one little boy celebrate the joys of companionship in this durable board book with sliding pages that extend to reveal a bigger picture. Each page of text offers a greeting to the happy creature on the facing page and inquires, “Are you all alone?” or some variation of that question. “Not today. Take a look,” comes the uniform answer, followed by an explanation of which unseen companions are brightening each character’s day. With an easy pull, the picture page slides out; where there had been an image of a single bear lying on the grass, a second bear now snuggles against it. When the sliding page is turned, the process is repeated, as the picture on the backside also extends to reveal hidden companions, described on the following facing page. The artwork is simple, but the happy characters that populate the brightly colored pages of this book have undeniable appeal. This Dutch import’s extendable pages are sturdy and well-constructed; they appear less apt to tear than the gatefolded or flapped pages often seen in board books. The Q-and-A format of the text invites call and response participation from children, and the hidden characters will delight every young peekaboo enthusiast.
Sweet, unpretentious, and, of course, more fun together. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: April 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-60537-382-9
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.
One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.
It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-553-51233-5
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Robin Corey/Random
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An excellent, rounded effort from a creator who knows how to deliver.
The farmyard's chickens experience Halloween.
A round, full moon shines in the sky, and the chickens of Boynton's barnyard are feeling “nervous.” Pumpkins shine “with flickering eyes,” witches and wizards wander the pastures, and one chicken has seen “a mouse of enormous size.” It’s Halloween night, and readers will delight as the chickens huddle together and try to figure out what's going on. All ends well, of course, and in Boynton's trademark silly style. (It’s really quite remarkable how her ranks of white, yellow-beaked chickens evoke rows of candy corn.) At this point parents and children know what they're in for when they pick up a book by the prolific author, and she doesn't disappoint here. The chickens are silly, the pigs are cute, and the coloring and illustrations evoke a warmth that little ones wary of Halloween will appreciate. For children leery of the ghouls and goblins lurking in the holiday's iconography, this is a perfect antidote, emphasizing all the fun Halloween has to offer.
An excellent, rounded effort from a creator who knows how to deliver. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7611-9300-5
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 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.
