Helpful groundbreaking for budding gardeners, despite moving parts that are far from toddler-proof.
Not Maisy’s first garden but perhaps her most bountiful.
With assists from pull tabs, Maisy digs, plants, waters, weeds and finally harvests a vegetable garden (with help from Panda, who also plants sunflower seeds). Like the snail, earthworm and various insects that look on, children will smile as seedlings rise from the rich, chocolate-brown earth—putting down visible roots, too. With proper care, they turn into carrots and lettuce, clusters of green beans and ripe tomatoes hanging beneath lush greenery. A topical glossary to the left of each growing scene introduces words like “watering can” and “dandelion.” Kicking off her muddy boots in the final spread, Maisy leans back to enjoy the fruits of her labor and admire the sunflowers that unfold atop tall stems: “How beautiful the plants are!”
Helpful groundbreaking for budding gardeners, despite moving parts that are far from toddler-proof. (Pop up/picture book. 3-4)Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6242-4
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An inclusive view of an ever popular career option that’s sturdy enough to survive repeated alarms.
A firehouse that sets up in the round, with cutout doors and windows plus push-out firefighters and a ready-to-assemble truck.
The three detachable firefighters (along with the rather stubby truck and assorted equipment) join a large and distinctly diverse crew in simply rendered firehouse scenes that depict training, exercise, going out on a call, and then cleaning up afterward. Along with being a nearly equal mix of male and female (implied by hairstyle), the stylized figures bear skin colors ranging from pink through at least two shades of brown, hair in several different colors and styles, and, in a couple of cases, broad Asian features. The trucks on view don’t look much like real ones, and some topical drift shows up on the last page, in which the supposed “firefighters” are actually a uniformed ambulance crew, patching up a child who has fallen off a bike. Still, everyone in sight is busily at work, and the “Fire Rescue!” scene is dramatic without being scarily so.
An inclusive view of an ever popular career option that’s sturdy enough to survive repeated alarms. (Novelty board book. 3-4)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2016
ISBN: 979-1-02760-196-7
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2016
Add this to the young vehicle enthusiast’s bookshelf.
Enter the big green garage and see a car and a truck being fixed.
The interactivity starts right from the cover when readers are invited to slide open the green roll-up door of the garage. Children who are past the stage of naming transportation vehicles and are now interested in more detail will delight in what they will find inside, where a team of mechanics is in charge. Rhyming text explains the process. First the tow truck brings the car in to be fixed, the tools are gathered, and then the car is put on a lift, “Drain the oil. / Change the plugs. / Quiet noises. / Smooth out bugs.” The book is rich in car-related vocabulary, such as funnel, jack, plugs, wires, wrench, nut, hose, battery, belt, and muffler—a veritable trove for little mechanics in the making. To add to the fun, there are flaps to open, a wheel to turn, and objects to slide. Little hands may find some of these interactive elements difficult to move, particularly the sliding ones; a truck that can be moved along a curvy track will probably not hold up long but will be fun while it lasts. The gouache, pen, and digital collage illustrations are appealing, and the characters portrayed represent diverse ethnicities.
Add this to the young vehicle enthusiast’s bookshelf. (Board book. 3-4)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4521-7074-9
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
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