A cogent reminder that grumpiness is fleeting.
A tortoise who wakes up on the wrong side of the bed finds plenty of reasons to smile in the course of one day.
The titular tortoise starts the day with an easily recognized scowl, but each successive double-page spread shows it enjoying an array of pleasing activities and feeling progressively “a little less grumpy.” It’s a useful lesson in the principle that “this too shall pass,” rather than an exploration of crankiness or its impact on others. The blurb on the back suggests that “friends have a way of making things better.” Each scenario does include other creatures watching the tortoise smell flowers, listen for his echo, eat ice cream in the desert, enjoy the breeze on the ocean, and roller skate, but it’s only clear that they’re socializing in the last two scenes—enjoying a pizza party and watching the sunset. The conclusion is unambiguously positive, however: “What a wonderful day! It was time for bed, and Tortoise didn’t feel grumpy at all!” The artwork is colorful, and the animals are expressive and charming. This is part of a four-book series exploring feelings, and it is one of the more successful. Companion volumes are Careful Chameleon, Scaredy Cat (both muddled), and Steady Sloth, who perseveres while others quit in frustration. Stick with the tortoise and the sloth.
A cogent reminder that grumpiness is fleeting. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-61067-890-2
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
An effervescent celebration of play in the early years.
As with Spanyol’s stellar Clive books, Rosa’s favorite activities buck gender stereotypes.
The toddler races toy cars, jumps monster trucks, and builds a car out of a cardboard box with her buddies in what looks like a day care or preschool setting. Spanyol’s childlike lines, soft palette, and chunky figures are as cheerful as ever. The text is mostly straightforward, simple narration peppered with exclamations from Rosa and her chums: “Rosa and Marcel play in the sandpit. ‘Dig-a-dig, dig-a-dig, scoop!’ sings Rosa.” Rosa has brown skin and black, curly hair, and she wears bright yellow eyeglasses. Her friends include Samira, who uses a wheelchair and is likely of South Asian descent; Mustafa, who appears black; Biba, who has light-brown skin and straight, black hair; and Sarah and Marcel, who both present white. Three other equally charming titles accompany this offering. In Rosa and Her Dinosaurs, the heroine dons a purple dress and plays with a collection of toy dinosaurs. Rosa and her buds (all wearing helmets) roll through the pages of Rosa Rides Her Scooter. And in Rosa Plays Ball, Rosa pushes a cart with various kinds of balls to toss about with her friends outside.
An effervescent celebration of play in the early years. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-78628-125-8
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Child's Play
Review Posted Online: Dec. 4, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A fun but inessential novelty, as much toy as book.
A familiar song repackaged as a board book doubles as a finger puppet.
Many a caregiver has sung this refrain to a newborn or toddler, ignoring the decidedly sad lyrics of the original. Magsamen lays claim and sweetens it up. She uses only the chorus and changes the last line to “I’ll give you lots of hugs… / and kisses every day” instead of the expected “Please don’t take my sunshine away.” Her cheery artwork, reminiscent of applique, recalls the song’s country-music roots and is anything but sad. The pages are decorated with hearts and cuddly-looking caregiver-child animal pairs—foxes, skunks with sunny yellow umbrellas, bunnies, raccoons, and squirrels. The thick, heart-shaped pages include a circular die-cut hole through which readers might poke the smiling felt sun puppet attached to the back cover. A finger inserted from the back makes the sun wiggle and will capture even the youngest baby’s attention. The puppet feature does not obstruct the initial page turns, but when a toddler says, “Do it again” (as they doubtless will), quickly re-positioning the finger puppet is somewhat challenging.
A fun but inessential novelty, as much toy as book. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-338-30576-0
Page Count: 6
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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