A charming and very simple introduction to animals and their sleeping habits for babies and toddlers.
A brief introduction to some of the ways animals sleep.
The book starts off with the titular phrase, “Hello animals! How do you sleep?” On each double-page spread, two beautiful and realistic illustrations provide the answer. The text is spare: “Warm in the hay” (a calf and a foal); “Tucked in my tail” (a squirrel and a fox); “Cozy on cushions” (a dog and a cat); “Curled in nests” (a hedgehog and a gerbil); “Deep in dens” (a rabbit and a bear); and “Snuggled in straw” (two ducklings and a hen). The animals are not named, but most will be familiar to adult readers if not children. Author/illustrator Botman is from the Netherlands, and it shows in the choices of some of the animals illustrated, such as a hedgehog and a red squirrel, which are not native to North America. By keeping the text spare, Botman allows readers to focus on the illustrations, which are quite lovely. They appear to have been done with pastel crayons or some other smudgy medium, as they have a comforting, mottled look.
A charming and very simple introduction to animals and their sleeping habits for babies and toddlers. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: April 23, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-78250-551-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Floris
Review Posted Online: April 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Young birders and gardeners in the making will applaud this lovely admission to the Look & Learn series and its...
A colorful, photo-illustrated introduction to our feathered friends.
Two double-page spreads are devoted to each featured bird, giving readers a sample of bird activities and characteristics: a “red bird” takes a bath, a “blue bird” sings a song, a “yellow bird” roosts in a tree, a “green bird” feeds itself and its young, and colorful parrots take flight. One to two sentences of text accompany each photo while additional factoids float alongside the main image. Little ones are encouraged to interact with the birds through simple directives: “Say hello to the blue birds,” or “Clap your hands for the flying bird.” The final two pages review most of the birds from the previous pages and ask tots to name the color of each animal. The companion title In My Garden follows a similar format and provides youngsters with an overview of all the things needed to grow a garden, including seeds, water, and sunshine, along with an introduction to several garden dwellers such as caterpillars, birds, and bunnies. People, mostly children, of different races and skin tones demonstrate activities. The bold and vibrant photos are stock images; expertly chosen, they will undoubtedly appeal to tykes learning to name their worlds.
Young birders and gardeners in the making will applaud this lovely admission to the Look & Learn series and its companion. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4263-2843-5
Page Count: 24
Publisher: National Geographic Kids
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
A misfire.
Little readers learn some animal idioms.
Caregivers know the phrases “sly as a fox” and “blind as a bat,” and this board book tries its best to introduce these and other animal idioms to little readers. The resulting read is a disjointed affair: an extreme close-up of a minimally detailed, black-and-white animal’s face takes up one full page on recto, while the opposite page offers simple, rhyming clues to the animal idiom. When readers turn the page they are greeted with a full, detailed, full-color view of the animal. Although the facial features from the previous page are printed on its verso, the relationship between minimalist and full-color versions will be hazy at best to a board-book audience. The initial views purposely give little clue to the creature’s identity, and given the audience’s limited experience, the textual clues aren’t much help either. “Quick and cheeky, / smart and sneaky. / I’m sly as a… / Fox.” While the book succeeds in introducing new vocabulary, it does so in such a decontextualized way that toddlers are unlikely to be able to make use of it. Die-cut peek-through holes (an ox’s nostrils; the joint of a clam’s shell) provide some continuity but seem more gimmick than anything else.
A misfire. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4549-2505-7
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
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