The clever book-in-a-book construction, appealing collage illustrations and focus on parent-baby pairs will make this one a...
Two books in one introduce youngsters to garden critters and their babies.
An ingenious cutaway design separates the book into two distinct, connected pieces, creating a small book that sits nestled inside a larger one. On the first large page, a blue bird, perching on a branch against a soft pink background, says: “You sing a happy song in our leafy tree.” Open to the first page of the smaller book and more text— “You are my baby, little hatchling”—and an image of the baby bird appears. This pattern is repeated with colorful and happy-looking spiders in their webs, snails in the tall grass, squirrels digging in the dirt and bees buzzing about the flowers. Each striking double-page spread has a distinct design, making it easy for children to match the baby animals in the smaller book with the adults on the larger pages. Another volume in this charming series, Ocean, depicts octopus, sea horse, fish, turtle and whale pairs against marine backgrounds of blue and green.
The clever book-in-a-book construction, appealing collage illustrations and focus on parent-baby pairs will make this one a favorite for shared reading and individual exploration. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: March 25, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2649-4
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.
This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.
Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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BOOK REVIEW
In this board book designed for the littlest llama lovers, adorable-as-ever Llama Llama (Llama Llama Red Pajama, 2005, etc.) gets ready for some Halloween fun.
Dewdney’s characteristic spare, apt rhymes convey a lot of action in effortlessly readable fashion. A charming and simple introduction to Halloween and its associated activities, this title finds little Llama Llama choosing and carving a pumpkin, pouring candy into bowls, picking out a costume and, finally, trick-or-treating. The costume Llama Llama decides to don—pointy teeth and a black mask and cape—is enough to frighten and fool his friends but not readers, who will immediately recognize and smile at the silly little mini-Dracula. With Dewdney’s characters as expressive as ever, young readers will be drawn right into the holiday fun, eagerly anticipating which costume Llama Llama will choose and excited to see him scare his friends and score some candy at trick-or-treat. In the equally appealing companion title, Llama Llama Jingle Bells,the little fellow gets ready for Christmas, baking and decorating some cookies in anticipation of Santa’s arrival. This simple holiday title will win Llama Llama new fans, and old friends will want to add it and its companion to their collections. (Board book. 1-2)
Pub Date: Aug. 19, 2014
ISBN: 978-0451469786
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015
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