Many kids begin wondering about their origins at a young age but some parents might not be comfortable getting into discussions about sexual reproduction too early. This paperback co-written by a board-certified pediatrician and his screenwriting brother provides them with an easy out.
Jeffrey comes home from school wanting answers, and on the left side of each spread he asks a probing question about how he came to be using simple language and concepts any curious child might use, such as “Was I hatched from a giant egg?” On the top of each adjacent page, the wildly imaginative Jeffrey conjures up a lavishly illustrated scenario wherein the response to his inquiry is yes: “I bet Mommy sat on me for a whole year until I broke out of my shell with my feathers and claws and my big, colorful dragon wings.” As his doting parents patiently weigh in (yes, Mommy did grow him for nine months, but no, not in a garden like a Venus Flytrap), the love between parent and child is made plainly evident. When Jeffrey finally finds out some semblance of the truth—that he was made out of love—young readers will surely feel just as satisfied by the resolution as little Jeffrey. They’ll also be drawn to all the robots and purple tentacled aliens of Jeffrey’s imagination too. But given that it features a happily married couple as parents, the book might be off-putting for single-parent or broken-family households. Also, the book’s title gives away the punch line before the spine is even cracked. Nonetheless, this is a heartwarming lesson in parenting for the “Brady Bunch” set. An imaginative picture book for tiny tykes that enterainingly addresses how babies are made without resorting to biological terminology.
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1937387259
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Telemachus Press
Review Posted Online: March 6, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Playful, engaging, and full of opportunities for empathy—a raucous storytime hit.
Readers try to dislodge a monster from the pages of this emotive and interactive read-aloud.
“OH NO!” the story starts. “There’s a monster in your book!” The blue, round-headed monster with pink horns and a pink-tipped tail can be seen cheerfully munching on the opening page. “Let’s try to get him out,” declares the narrator. Readers are encouraged to shake, tilt, and spin the book around, while the monster careens around an empty background looking scared and lost. Viewers are exhorted to tickle the monster’s feet, blow on the page, and make a really loud noise. Finally, shockingly, it works: “Now he’s in your room!” But clearly a monster in your book is safer than a monster in your room, so he’s coaxed back into the illustrations and lulled to sleep, curled up under one page and cuddling a bit of another like a child with their blankie. The monster’s entirely cute appearance and clear emotional reactions to his treatment add to the interactive aspect, and some young readers might even resist the instructions to avoid hurting their new pal. Children will be brought along on the monster’s journey, going from excited, noisy, and wiggly to calm and steady (one can hope).
Playful, engaging, and full of opportunities for empathy—a raucous storytime hit. (Picture book. 2-7)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5247-6456-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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