by Marni McGee & illustrated by Sam Williams ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2001
McGee (Forest Child, not reviewed, etc.) serenades readers with a softly lilting ode to somnolence. As a father and child wind their way through the quieting house, a gentle litany enumerating the many dozy creatures eases the little one to sleep. From a napping field mouse to sleepy toys, McGee’s simple rhymes convey the increasing drowsiness of the house and its inhabitants, culminating in the sweet repose of the child. McGee weaves her tranquil verses into a cozy, comforting lullaby for wee ones. The repetitive rhythm lulls readers, preparing them for slumber. “Sleepy star. / Sleepy tree. / Sleepy breeze blows in on me.” Williams’s (Jiggle, Joggle, Jee, p. 420, etc.) expressive watercolors echo the mellowness of the tale. Darkening shadows overlay the rich colors of the illustrations, artfully portraying the sense of encroaching twilight. Tender scenes depicting a tired tot cuddled up on daddy’s shoulder are signature Williams; a myriad of benevolent beings, animate and not, smile down upon the tousle-headed, cherubic child. The integration of the verses into the illustrations, with the whimsical placement of the text within the pages evokes the swaying tempo of the poem, creating a seamless union between word and picture. An enchanting addition to a child’s repertoire of bedtime tales. (Picture book. 1-5)
Pub Date: May 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-82378-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2001
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by Dan Saks ; illustrated by Brooke Smart ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2020
A joyful celebration.
Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.
The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together, frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.
A joyful celebration. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
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by Jimmy Fallon ; illustrated by Miguel Ordóñez ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 9, 2015
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.
A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.
A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
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