bookshelf

I WILL KEEP YOU SAFE AND SOUND

Name: I WILL KEEP YOU SAFE AND SOUND
Author: Lori Haskins Houran
ISBN: 978-0-545-19751-9

by Lori Haskins Houran ; illustrated by Petra Brown ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2013

Though well-intentioned and decently executed, nothing new or exciting lies within.

bookshelf

Spare text in rhyming couplets and a soothing refrain provide young readers with a cozy glimpse of animal babies and their parents enjoying their natural habitats.

Houran chooses language that describes the scene in a succinct but quiet manner: “Gators in the shade / While the sun burns high / Squirrels in the log / While the hawk sails by / Dolphins in the cove / While the wild waves pound / I will keep you safe and sound.” Brown bears, rabbits, robins, beavers and ponies complete the cast of creatures featured in Brown’s soft-hued watercolor, gouache and pencil illustrations. Each spread features a full-bleed picture on the left paired with a spot illustration and the text on the right. Only the ending offers a slight break from this pattern as a lost kitten (after a slightly dramatic page turn) quickly reunites with its mother under the glowing full moon. The design and flow seem best suited for the very young—the most likely audience to be charmed by the singsong cadence and the relative sweetness of the title.

Though well-intentioned and decently executed, nothing new or exciting lies within. (Picture book. 1-4)

Pub Date: March 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-545-19751-9

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: Jan. 15, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2013

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

- BOOK REVIEW
GUITAR
by Lori Haskins Houran ; illustrated by Kaly Quarles

- BOOK REVIEW
BICYCLE
by Lori Haskins Houran ; illustrated by Aaron Cushley

- BOOK REVIEW
ARE YOU MY PLANET?
by Lori Haskins Houran ; illustrated by Edward Miller

bookshelf

LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S HALLOWEEN

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2016

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

bookshelf

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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

bookshelf

ANIMAL SHAPES

by Christopher Silas Neal ; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 27, 2018

Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.

bookshelf

You think you know shapes? Animals? Blend them together, and you might see them both a little differently!

What a mischievous twist on a concept book! With wordplay and a few groan-inducing puns, Neal creates connections among animals and shapes that are both unexpected and so seemingly obvious that readers might wonder why they didn’t see them all along. Of course, a “lazy turtle” meeting an oval would create the side-splitting combo of a “SLOW-VAL.” A dramatic page turn transforms a deeply saturated, clean-lined green oval by superimposing a head and turtle shell atop, with watery blue ripples completing the illusion. Minimal backgrounds and sketchy, impressionistic detailing keep the focus right on the zany animals. Beginning with simple shapes, the geometric forms become more complicated as the book advances, taking readers from a “soaring bird” that meets a triangle to become a “FLY-ANGLE” to a “sleepy lion” nonagon “YAWN-AGON.” Its companion text, Animal Colors, delves into color theory, this time creating entirely hybrid animals, such as the “GREEN WHION” with maned head and whale’s tail made from a “blue whale and a yellow lion.” It’s a compelling way to visualize color mixing, and like Animal Shapes, it’s got verve. Who doesn’t want to shout out that a yellow kangaroo/green moose blend is a “CHARTREUSE KANGAMOOSE”?

Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable. (Board book. 2-4)