Chick’s two oft-repeated words, sweet and cute, accurately sum up this tale.
A little chick brings gifts to newborn animals.
So many babies have been born, and Chick wants to visit them all. Baby bunnies with tiny puffball tails get a colorful bunting as a present—and a hug. A baby squirrel, high up in a treetop nest, gets a nut—and a kiss. Each animal gets a simple treat along with praise for learning and growing. “Hi, little monkey! Are you able to move across the trees, just like your mommy? Well done! Here’s a delicious little banana!” Chick understands—being tiny as well—that these babies are on their own journeys of discovery, and Chick wants to cheer them on as much as possible. Simple line drawings set against uncluttered backdrops that are dotted with colorful flowers add a delicate, joyful touch to Chick’s expedition. It’s certainly not geographically sound—Chick sees a wide variety of animals, including elephants and penguins, seemingly all in one day—but at least the minimal landscapes do change appropriately. There isn’t a dynamic story arc, with Chick simply walking from one family to the next, but the tiny fowl’s spindly legs carry a great big heart. Though not, strictly speaking, a board book, this offering features a padded cover and rounded, card-stock pages that suit it to a toddler audience.
Chick’s two oft-repeated words, sweet and cute, accurately sum up this tale. (Picture book. 1-4)Pub Date: April 20, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-60537-624-0
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2021
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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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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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