by Minh Lê ; illustrated by Gus Gordon ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 12, 2019
There’s more to storytime between a parent and child than book selection. Closeness and comfort certainly count.
Reading aloud is a wonderful shared activity for a father and child. But what or where is the best chair?
Dapper papa moose, dressed in a fedora and sweater, agrees to read a story to his young one. But then the quest begins for the best setting. Size, condition, texture, type, and location all present problems. They are about to give up when a picture-perfect location is found under a tree in an urban park. Lê’s little story, a sort of metafictive prequel to the act children and caregivers are engaging in in reading this very book, is delightfully presented. Gordon’s watercolor, pencil, crayon, and collage illustrations in soft shades of greens, browns, and grays illustrate each of the possibilities with gentle humor. Each opposing possibility is presented on a page or sometimes two, subtly controlling the pacing: “Too Funky. / Too Fancy” or “Too Old. / Too New.” Readers will find themselves lingering over the choices. Some of the options are familiar: “Too Big. / Too Small” (an imposing and far-from-cozy sofa; a fire hydrant). Some are less so: “Too Rough. // Too Slippery” (a bumpy bicycle ride; a slide in the park). A street map of the town on the endpapers, including its trees and lakes, along with a music-loving squirrel add to the fun.
There’s more to storytime between a parent and child than book selection. Closeness and comfort certainly count. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-368-02004-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
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by Minh Lê ; illustrated by Dan Santat
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by Minh Lê ; illustrated by Raissa Figueroa
by William Boniface ; illustrated by Julien Chung ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2024
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree.
A Christmas edition of the beloved alphabet book.
The story starts off nearly identically to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989), written by John Archambault and the late Bill Martin Jr, with the letters A, B, and C deciding to meet in the branches of a tree. This time, they’re attempting to scale a Christmas tree, not a coconut tree, and the letters are strung together like garland. A, B, and C are joined by the other letters, and of course they all “slip, slop, topple, plop!” right down the tree. At the bottom, they discover an assortment of gifts, all in a variety of shapes. As a team, the letters and presents organize themselves to get back up on the Christmas tree and get a star to the top. Holiday iterations of favorite tales often fall flat, but this take succeeds. The gifts are an easy way to reinforce another preschool concept—shapes—and the text uses just enough of the original to be familiar. The rhyming works, sticking to the cadence of the source material. The illustrations pay homage to the late Lois Ehlert’s, featuring the same bold block letters, though they lack some of the whimsy and personality of the original. Otherwise, everything is similarly brightly colored and simply drawn. Those familiar with the classic will be drawn to this one, but newcomers can enjoy it on its own.
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665954761
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
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by Drew Daywalt ; illustrated by Oliver Jeffers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 19, 2021
Fun enough to read once but without enough substance to last.
Familiar crayon characters argue over which color is the essential Christmas color.
Green starts by saying that green is for Christmas. After all, green is for holly. But Red objects. Red is for candy canes. Green is for fir trees, Green retorts. But Red is for Santa Claus, who agrees. (Santa is depicted as a white-bearded White man.) Then White joins the fray. After spending the year being invisible, White isn’t giving up the distinction of association with Christmas. Snow, anyone? But then there’s Silver: stars and bells. And Brown: cookies and reindeer! At this point, everyone is confused. But they come together and agree that Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without all of them together. Someone may get the last word, though. In Daywalt and Jeffers’ now-signature style, the crayon-written text is spare and humorous, while the crayon characters engage with each other against a bare white background, vying for attention. Dot-eyed faces and stick legs on each object turn them all into comical, if similar, personalities. But the series’ original cleverness is absent here, leaving readers with a perfunctory recitation of attributes. Fans of the crayon books may delight in another themed installment; those who aren’t already fans will likely find it lacking. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Fun enough to read once but without enough substance to last. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 19, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-35338-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
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by Drew Daywalt & illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
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by Drew Daywalt ; illustrated by Mike Lowery
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by Drew Daywalt ; illustrated by Alex Willmore
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