A delightful celebration of both a new baby and the natural world he or she will inhabit.
On the day a new baby arrives, all the wonders of nature come together to welcome her in a celebration of life and family.
A first walk in her daddy’s arms reveals the joy of splashing through rain puddles, the greetings from night creatures Owl, Bat and Mouse, busy honey bees, friendly farm animals, the aerobatics of falcons and hawks, and the sweetness of wild berries and flowers. The long, inspiring nature walk ends in the moonlight back in mother’s arms. While readers never see the baby, father or mother, the gentle, soothingly fluid acrylic paintings allow them to experience the beauty of the surroundings through the eyes of this new family. And there is much to observe and explore in each: a hidden bat, bees to count, ladybugs and crickets to espy amid a flower garden. The joyful expression of love for this new child is evident in the flowing text. “On the day you were born, our friends wanted to kiss and cuddle, squish and squeeze you so lovingly that I had to rescue you!” The “friends” depicted are a row of curious, happy farmyard animals.
A delightful celebration of both a new baby and the natural world he or she will inhabit. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-74114-754-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2014
This TV rerun in board-book form has nothing new to offer.
Peppa hopes to join her classmates in a Halloween pumpkin competition in this adaptation of a story from the popular British television program Peppa Pig.
With the help of Granny and Grandpa Pig, Peppa turns her giant pumpkin, which is the size of a compact car, into a jack-o’-lantern. The trio is flummoxed when it comes time to transport the pumpkin to the competition, so they call on Miss Rabbit and her helicopter to airlift the pumpkin to the festivities as Peppa and her grandparents ride inside. Peppa arrives just in time for the contest and wins the prize for best flying pumpkin. The scenes look as if they are pulled directly from the television show, right down to the rectangular framing of some of the scenes. While the story is literally nothing new, the text is serviceable, describing the action in two to three sentences per page. The pumpkin-shaped book and orange foil cover will likely attract youngsters, whether they are Peppa fans or not.
This TV rerun in board-book form has nothing new to offer. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 30, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-33922-2
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019
The soft cadence of the rhyming verses and the joyous pictures of the elephants will make this a bedtime favorite
When a baby elephant is born, “wrinkled and gray,” not just the herd, but the whole world rejoices, from morning to night.
From the proud Mama to the grand Aunts, from the “fertile and firm” Earth to the ancient Banyan tree, everyone and everything around the new baby elephant joins in celebration and care for the Baby “who warms the hearts of the world today.” Glowing with warm golds and greens and shadowed with deep blues and greens, the gorgeous artwork lushly illuminates the day of an elephant’s birth as it is cared for by its family and surroundings. The expressions on the elephant faces are sheer joy to behold; the elephant smiles are realistic and yet radiate affection. Seemingly simple, this gentle rhyming story works on two levels: the playfulness of the young elephant and its friends ensure that young children will be able to see themselves in the story, and given the depiction of the natural scenes, at least some young readers will become fascinated with the lives of elephants as well. An author’s note at the end provides background from the Indian-American author’s own life and also draws attention to the present-day need to protect elephants from poaching and the loss of habitat.
The soft cadence of the rhyming verses and the joyous pictures of the elephants will make this a bedtime favorite . (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-16684-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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