by Mem Fox & illustrated by Jan Thomas ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 5, 2010
The traditional counting format receives a charming update as playfully expressive goats mimic human behavior. While these floppy-eared, flat-nosed animals may play the trumpet or throw a snowball, the lure of hot sandcastles or crunchy umbrella stands prove delicious distractions for the frisky friends. The lilting rhymes nicely capture the building energy. As the growing menagerie frolics across each page, pointed questions encourage audience participation. “Here we see a soccer goat roaring at the ref! / But can we count the CHEERING goats who must be going deaf?” Fox, an early-literacy specialist to the core, gets each rhyme just right, though this hasn't the sublime predictability of her spectacular Where Is the Green Sheep? (illustrated by Judy Horacek, 2004). Thomas’s trademark digital spreads provide punch through chunky, dark outlines and zany off-kilter expressions: The slant of an eyebrow or the turn of an ear—not to mention all those beards—makes for some seriously funny faces. The distinctive Grenadine type, which allows each all-uppercase word to pop dramatically, suits the bold backdrops. These wacky goats guarantee a goofy good time. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0598-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 1, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2010
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by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 31, 2023
An upbeat Easter outing with a beloved character.
Pookie celebrates Easter with a play date and holiday activities.
Pookie’s friend Bean, a gray puppy, comes over for Easter fun that includes lots of bouncing around and egg decorating. After Bean goes home, Pookie gets excited about the Easter Bunny’s arrival and goes to sleep dreaming of a large chocolate egg. Like the other Pookie books before it, this one is told in rhyme from the perspective of a loving grown-up addressing the little pig, which keeps the pace moving and makes for a great read-aloud. Bean and Pookie are realistically—and endearingly—childlike, from Pookie’s pronunciation of yellow as “lellow!” to the joyful mess they make while decorating eggs. There are plenty of sweet and festive touches, such as the bunny ears that Bean and Pookie (and Pookie’s teddy) wear and the daffodils painted on the end of Pookie’s bed. The illustrations include large, full-page images as well as smaller vignettes against solid backgrounds. One page shows Pookie and parent looking out the window at the moon, anticipating Easter’s spoils. For fans of Boynton and little Pookie, this Easter tale is exactly as expected: a touch of playfulness, a relatable story, and comfort in the familiar. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An upbeat Easter outing with a beloved character. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66592-838-0
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Boynton Bookworks
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
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by Christopher Silas Neal ; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 27, 2018
Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable.
You think you know shapes? Animals? Blend them together, and you might see them both a little differently!
What a mischievous twist on a concept book! With wordplay and a few groan-inducing puns, Neal creates connections among animals and shapes that are both unexpected and so seemingly obvious that readers might wonder why they didn’t see them all along. Of course, a “lazy turtle” meeting an oval would create the side-splitting combo of a “SLOW-VAL.” A dramatic page turn transforms a deeply saturated, clean-lined green oval by superimposing a head and turtle shell atop, with watery blue ripples completing the illusion. Minimal backgrounds and sketchy, impressionistic detailing keep the focus right on the zany animals. Beginning with simple shapes, the geometric forms become more complicated as the book advances, taking readers from a “soaring bird” that meets a triangle to become a “FLY-ANGLE” to a “sleepy lion” nonagon “YAWN-AGON.” Its companion text, Animal Colors, delves into color theory, this time creating entirely hybrid animals, such as the “GREEN WHION” with maned head and whale’s tail made from a “blue whale and a yellow lion.” It’s a compelling way to visualize color mixing, and like Animal Shapes, it’s got verve. Who doesn’t want to shout out that a yellow kangaroo/green moose blend is a “CHARTREUSE KANGAMOOSE”?
Innovative and thoroughly enjoyable. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0534-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
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