by Liesbet Slegers ; illustrated by Liesbet Slegers ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2018
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
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by Liesbet Slegers ; illustrated by Liesbet Slegers
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by Liesbet Slegers ; illustrated by Liesbet Slegers
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by Liesbet Slegers ; illustrated by Liesbet Slegers
by Dan Saks ; illustrated by Brooke Smart ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2020
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
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by Dan Saks ; illustrated by Brooke Smart
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by Dan Saks ; illustrated by Brooke Smart
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by Dan Saks ; illustrated by Brooke Smart
by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Sanja Rešček ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 5, 2016
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead.
An Easter-themed board-book parody of the traditional nursery rhyme.
Unfortunately, this effort is just as sugary and uninspired as The Itsy Bitsy Snowman, offered by the same pair in 2015. A cheerful white bunny hops through a pastel world to distribute candy and treats for Easter but spills his baskets. A hedgehog, fox, mouse, and various birds come to the bunny’s rescue, retrieving the candy, helping to devise a distribution plan, and hiding the eggs. Then magically, they all fly off in a hot air balloon as the little animals in the village emerge to find the treats. Without any apparent purpose, the type changes color to highlight some words. For very young children every word is new, so highlighting “tiny tail” or “friends” makes no sense. Although the text is meant to be sung, the words don't quite fit the rhythm of the original song. Moreover, there are not clear motions to accompany the text; without the fingerplay movements, this book has none of the satisfying verve of the traditional version.
Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5621-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Juliana Motzko
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by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Alison Brown
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by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Sanja Rešček
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