The illustrations invite children to take their time finding animals and figuring out their activities; the text would...
The names of several animals that might inhabit a cypress swamp, along with a plethora of verbs, adorn pages full of brightly colored animals, plants and water.
The opening double-page spread depicts a half-submerged alligator, a generic wading bird, other aquatic life, a lurking, half-hidden mammal, and insects flitting about; the text reads, “In the swamp…water ripples.” The final spread, similar but also purposefully including a fish in another wading bird’s mouth, says, “Water ripples in the swamp.” In between are close-up, cartoonlike depictions of various critters, each glossed with a few words: “Dragonflies swoop. Dip. // Crayfish crawl. Carry. / Bullfrogs wait. Lay.” (It is unclear what, if any, are the objects of the transitive verbs. Carry minnows? Lay eggs?) Later, more active watercolor-and-ink drawings show animals eating other animals, with phrases such as “Bullfrogs pounce. Gulp.” There is a nice interruption of rhythm when the alligators emerge on land with a sudden “Alligators CHOMP!” It is unclear until the endnote that the text and illustrations are attempting to show a cypress swamp food chain in action.
The illustrations invite children to take their time finding animals and figuring out their activities; the text would sparkle equally if the author had played more with rhyme, rhythm and alliteration. (Informational picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2407-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Jan. 21, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2014
There's not one decent insect leg to stand on here.
It's unfortunate that opposites attract in this dismal offering.
Little Speckled Bug meets his neighbor and immediately feels a connection to the female Bug Next Door, even though they express quite different interests. Little Speckled Bug wants to play boisterous games; the buggy diva's suggestions are stereotypically feminine in contrast. “What if we dressed up as flower fairies instead? We could put on long dresses and wear make up.” In an awkward sequence, the pair share hobbies, including collecting the appendages of their fellow insects (!), and a kiss. Little Speckled Bug's cheeks flush as he pines for his new love. The abrupt, didactic conclusion is both pretentious and perplexing: “But you see, in the blanket, just as in the rest of the world, there are lots of differences between girls and boys”—though other references have been made to the "blanket," its relationship to the book’s world is never explained. The mostly felted mixed-media spreads incorporate a hodgepodge of commonly found items, including sequins and postage stamps. Facial expressions are rigid, and the emotions portrayed inauthentic.
There's not one decent insect leg to stand on here. (Board book. 3-4)Pub Date: April 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7148-6356-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Phaidon
Review Posted Online: May 29, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012
An enjoyable, affordable addition to this accessible series.
Paper engineering animates a bevy of domestic animals as the pages turn.
A dog jumps over a fence, a goldfish splashes in a fish tank, a rabbit pops up from behind a gate, and more in this new Pop and Play offering. Abbott’s boldly outlined cartoons in highly saturated colors give the pets a lively and friendly air. The almost unnecessary text often captions the action with a fact about each animal (“Kittens like to play”) and includes one question or instruction per scene to engage readers (“Count the paw prints.”) The companion title, Under the Sea, features sea creatures and includes the same page-animating pop-ups: A dolphin leaps through the waves, baby and mother whales spout water, various sea creatures explore a shipwreck, and more. As in the first book, the playful art is more appealing than the pedestrian text, but its pop-up features are some of the best in the series. Particularly eye-catching are the octopus’ legs, which burst out of the book, and the clown fishes’ tails, which appear to wiggle when the book is manipulated.
An enjoyable, affordable addition to this accessible series. (Pop-up/board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-7534-7156-2
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Kingfisher
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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