It’s so high-spirited it isn’t likely to send any like-minded tots to sleep, but who cares when it’s so much fun? (Picture...
A lively, not-ready-for-bed tale featuring one patient mama and her exuberant tyke.
It’s naptime, and Baby is off and running. Familiar stalling tactics abound as clapping turns to singing, a request for milk becomes one very long drink, and chase turns to hide-and-seek. But Mama skillfully corrals Baby with a book, and cuddled together, they fall asleep. Digitally colored illustrations, done in a cool palette, capture the toddler’s energy and charm. At first glance, the stylized characters and graphic shapes appear simple, but Yaccarino’s careful use of pattern and color is skillfully designed to help readers identify characters, objects and space. Similarly, the simple, short text is playfully composed to emphasize its delivery. With no dialogue tags and just changes in italicization to distinguish Mama’s dialogue from Baby’s, it will have young listeners chanting along by the second read: “Good Baby. Now Baby nap. / NO NAP. Clap! Clap! Clap! // NO NAP. Sing song. Sing a long song. Long, long song. Sing! Sing! Sing! / Tra-la-la.”
It’s so high-spirited it isn’t likely to send any like-minded tots to sleep, but who cares when it’s so much fun? (Picture book. 1-3)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-316-24821-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
Sure to prompt little fingers into joyful action.
A favorite baby-and-toddler activity receives an upbeat celebration that will get those fingers going. Watch out!
The gang of frazzled felines that populate this outing are truly the cat's meow. Based on Boynton's song of the same title, the text is reproduced in a colored, patterned font that amps the energy right up. A forlorn little kitty, paws clasped in front of his body, appears anxious (though slightly intrigued) when a trio of toms encourages him to join in the fun. “Gitchy-gitchy / Goo Gotta / Ready, Set, Go!” It doesn't take long before the cautious cat jumps in on this chorus line with dramatic leaps and fluttering fingers. A little birdie acts as a square-dance caller, enunciating each beat (“Goo bop. / Gitchy-goo bop”). The shaggy, large-nosed felines are tremendously expressive in their synchronized movements and maintain a rollicking pace. “We can tickle high. / We can tickle low. / We can tickle QUICKQUICKQUICK / as fast as we can go!” (Here, the page is filled with iterations of "gitchy gitchy gitchy" in different colors.) At the end, the gang sprawls on the floor, exhausted, after a truly monumental tickle-fest.
Sure to prompt little fingers into joyful action. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: March 16, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7611-6883-6
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: June 12, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An Australian import tackles manners for the very young.
A little girl takes her stuffed cat and rabbit, along with her pet hedgehog, on an idyllic picnic. Each double-page spread sets up a statement or question (“Would you like to hold my hand?") that advances the day's events with an accompanied, expected answer ("Yes, please!"). Brief phrases in direct, appropriate language serve each natural page turn. Though the "Yes, please!" response never changes, the toys and youngster take turns directing and accepting requests. A soft sweetness—there's no hint of saccharine—nurtures the child's maturing independence as she organizes the festivities with absolutely no adult involvement (or any conflict to be seen). Respectful conversations between the preschooler and her friends appear fresh and unforced. The playthings' full-force involvement sets the creative stage; her dressed pals rifle through the basket, nibble on sandwiches and dip their toes in the water. Minimal backgrounds and pastel borders keep the focus on the action at hand. Slight alterations to facial expressions highlight a quiet reflection. A companion piece, I Can Say Thank You, follows a similar route as the friends explore their surroundings.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-61067-037-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
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