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HELLO BABY ANIMALS, WHO ARE YOU?

From the Hello Animals series

A darling way to learn baby animal names.

Soft illustrations identify and name baby animals.

Most little ones are entranced at the sight of cute animals, and in this board book there are plenty of sweet baby fluffballs to hold their interest. It’s a slightly odd collection of critters, with an emphasis on barnyard friends such as lambs, a calf, and piglets—to which are added a selection of wilder things, like a baby turtle and a fawn. Succinct and repetitive text introduces the baby animals by their special names and then by their species: “I’m a clever cub, says the baby fox.” (Some readers may wish to substitute kit.) Older toddlers past the basic naming stage will enjoy the opportunity to learn that a baby deer, for instance, is referred to as a fawn. Adjectives describing the creatures, including the “wobbly foal” or “curious owlets,” are accessible vocabulary builders. Muted, mottled pastel illustrations are a welcome choice for the intimate nature of the book. Soft, smudged edges make the animals look fluffy, and the pastel lines swirling about the animals create enticing auras about them. While the animals aren’t photorealistic, they are definitely naturalistic, with close-ups of a handsome goat kid prancing and a vulnerable, big-eyed donkey foal. Background colors can sometimes be unexpected—the fox and bunny are surrounded by rich peachy, plum tones with diffuse white highlights—but they are all quite attractive.

A darling way to learn baby animal names. (Board book. 1-4)

Pub Date: Sept. 14, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-78250-720-8

Page Count: 12

Publisher: Floris

Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S SPRINGTIME

From the Little Blue Truck series

Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.

Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.

This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.

Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)

Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018

ISBN: 978-0-544-93809-0

Page Count: 16

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S HALLOWEEN

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.

A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.

Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)

Pub Date: July 5, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3

Page Count: 16

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016

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