With tongue firmly in cheek, Cuetara catalogues a toddler’s world into 24 activities, from “Waking” to “Bedtime,” “Crawling” to “Swinging,” expressing “Brotherly Love” to “Snacking”: “Gum and string and bits of wax— / Gaby sees them all as snacks. / Mom and Dad have heart attacks. / Hungry little baby.” Simply drawn cartoon illustrations above each jaunty verse depict children of various ages and skin tones happily (for the most part) going about their “business.” Bands of color frame each poem and picture and a monochrome sketch in the corner aims at the adults who will recognize the joke. So, “Visitors” suggests that Aaron doesn’t give a hoot if Mommy has company—“Demanding little baby”—and in the lower right-hand corner sits a light-green crown. “Crawling”: “Speedy little baby” and two checkered racing flags. Parents of under-threes will laugh with recognition as they share this wry, affectionate, pitch-perfect tally from the author of Terrible Teresa, and Other Very Short Stories (1997). (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: June 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-525-47026-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2003
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Though its single-minded focus on success offers positive role modeling, it needs to be used with other, more realistic...
A toddler shares his glee at leaving diapers behind.
The book is completely child-focused, without an adult in sight. This youngster's independence influences each aspect of his toileting; he takes himself to the pot, and he uses a step stool to reach the sink to wash his hands after. There's no indication that any accidents may occur. The boy boasts, “When it's time, I know.” Brisk, rhyming phrases miss the mark. “Everyone uses the potty, / like me and Daddy and Mommy. / It's potty time, hooray! / I'm a big kid today.” With a little button nose and short spiky hair, the Caucasian tot is appealing. His favorite teddy bear plays the role of a loyal companion and even sits on his own potty just like the child. A die-cut–framed, battery-operated button (“flush me!”) triggers sound effects. Adults looking for a straightforward celebration of this milestone will gravitate toward this short selection, but there's no hint of the inevitable missteps young children face during the process.
Though its single-minded focus on success offers positive role modeling, it needs to be used with other, more realistic titles (and lots of patience). (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: May 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-35080-8
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 29, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This holiday ditty misses too many beats.
The traditional story of the first Thanksgiving is set to the tune of “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider” and stars rodents instead of humans.
The titular itsy-bitsy Pilgrim, a mouse dressed in iconic Puritan garb, sails to “a home that’s new” with three other mice on the Mayflower. They build a house, shovel snow, and greet some “itsy bitsy new friends,” who are chipmunks dressed as Native Americans complete with feathered headbands, beaded necklaces, and leather clothing. While Rescek’s art is droll and lively, it is wildly idealized, and the Native Americans’ clothing does not reflect what is understood of Wampanoag attire. The companion title, The Itsy Bitsy Reindeer, presents equally buoyant scenes. The reindeer and several elves, who appear to be white children with pointed ears, help Santa (also white) prepare for his annual sleigh-ride delivery. In both books, would-be singers may struggle to fit all the words and syllables into the meter, and a couple of rhymes are extremely forced (“shop” and “job”?).
This holiday ditty misses too many beats. (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6852-7
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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