The ever-inventive Bang (two Caldecott Honors) uses some of her favorite images in a deceptively simple bedtime story with several layers of visual and conceptual meaning. Bang has constructed three-dimensional collages of handmade toys and interiors made of recognizable materials (a boxy blue car with bottle-cap wheels gives a clue to the sizes of the originals), which are then photographed with extraordinary clarity. The story takes a dark-faced doll (addressed in the second person) through one happily productive day. "You" and your friends—gray cat, paper crane, polar bear, dinosaur, yellow ball—wake in an intensely red room, well appointed with art supplies; enjoy breakfast and outdoor play; wonder at a rain storm and the leaves it brings down; spend the afternoon working, reading, and creating a childlike painting that recaps many of the day's activities; and complete the cycle after a cozy bedtime ritual. The busy, predictable day, crisp images, and primary colors that dominate the art are all perfect for very young children; meanwhile, Bang's sophisticated compositions and creative use of imagery and materials will engage older children and adults. A beautiful and intriguing book with much to discover at any age. (Picture book. 1-6)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-688-07015-9
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1994
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A fun and engaging introduction to Mexico for the younger set.
Young armchair travelers are invited to join a treasure hunt around Mexico while learning a few Spanish words and geographical facts along the way.
The first double-page spread presents a colorful map of Mexico with some of the objects readers will find over the course of their journey as well as a few quick facts about Mexico. A series of colorful and kid-friendly double-page spreads depict landmarks, customs, and foods to be found in different locales, always following the same format: A scene is depicted, basic information is presented in rhyming text, an object must be found, and a “DID YOU KNOW” fun fact appears. To aid children in their search, the object to be located usually is depicted with an aura or stars around it. Words in Spanish are printed in boldface and then presented phonetically. In Mexico City, for example, amid modern skyscrapers, children are invited to locate the statue of El Angel, before reading the “DID YOU KNOW?” fact: The statue is “covered with 24K gold!” There is a commercial angle to the outing, as children are encouraged at the end of the book to visit the website where they can get stickers for each object found in addition to other, related material for sale. The compositions are busy for younger board-book readers, but older toddlers and preschoolers should enjoy it.
A fun and engaging introduction to Mexico for the younger set. (Board book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-945635-22-9
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Encantos
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The joys of counting combine with pretty art and homage to Goodnight Moon.
This bedtime book offers simple rhymes, celebrates the numbers one through 10, and encourages the counting of objects.
Each double-page spread shows a different toddler-and-caregiver pair, with careful attention to different skin tones, hair types, genders, and eye shapes. The pastel palette and soft, rounded contours of people and things add to the sleepy litany of the poems, beginning with “Goodnight, one fork. / Goodnight, one spoon. / Goodnight, one bowl. / I’ll see you soon.” With each number comes a different part in a toddler’s evening routine, including dinner, putting away toys, bathtime, and a bedtime story. The white backgrounds of the pages help to emphasize the bold representations of the numbers in both written and numerical forms. Each spread gives multiple opportunities to practice counting to its particular number; for example, the page for “four” includes four bottles of shampoo and four inlaid dots on a stool—beyond the four objects mentioned in the accompanying rhyme. Each home’s décor, and the array and types of toys and accoutrements within, shows a decidedly upscale, Western milieu. This seems compatible with the patronizing author’s note to adults, which accuses “the media” of indoctrinating children with fear of math “in our country.” Regardless, this sweet treatment of numbers and counting may be good prophylaxis against math phobia.
The joys of counting combine with pretty art and homage to Goodnight Moon. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-101-93378-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
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