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MRS. PEANUCKLE'S FRUIT ALPHABET

Name: MRS. PEANUCKLE'S FRUIT ALPHABET
Author: Mrs. Peanuckle
ISBN: 978-1-62336-872-2

From the Mrs. Peanuckle's Alphabet Library series , Vol. 2

by Mrs. Peanuckle ; illustrated by Jessie Ford ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 19, 2017

There is so much interesting information in these books readers may find the problems easy to live with. Have fun with your...

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“A is for Avocado. Bet you thought I’d say apple! Both are fruit because they grow on trees.”

So starts this unusual alphabet book, which includes a wonderful collection of fruit from all around the world—common ones such as orange, raspberry, and lemon as well as fruit with which readers might be less familiar, such as dragon fruit, yumberry and “XIGUA, which is pronounced ‘she gwah’ and is a Chinese and African name for watermelon.” Each letter of the alphabet gets one page, with the letter and the name of the fruit in uppercase, an illustration of the fruit in vivid colors, and some tasty facts and/or commentary about it. Each sentence is written in an unnecessary mixture of typefaces, which may make it difficult for children to distinguish individual letters. “Q IS FOR QUINCE WHICH is too hard and sour to eat RAW. BUT if you cook IT, IT turns PINK and MAKES a good sauce, jelly OR JAM.” Bold colors, textures, and smiling faces make the fruit look spirited and playful but not particularly tempting, and they may not represent the actual fruit particularly well. Companion book Mrs. Peanuckle’s Vegetable Alphabet is very similar in look and feel, with such unusual vegetables as dandelion, fiddleheads, and watercress.

There is so much interesting information in these books readers may find the problems easy to live with. Have fun with your fruits—and vegetables! (Board book. 2-5)

Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-62336-872-2

Page Count: 28

Publisher: Rodale Kids

Review Posted Online: Sept. 17, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
MRS. PEANUCKLE'S BUG ALPHABET
by Mrs. Peanuckle ; illustrated by Jessie Ford

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HEADS AND TAILS

by John Canty ; illustrated by John Canty ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 23, 2018

A clever conceit but a bland execution.

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In this minimalist Australian import, readers are encouraged to guess animals based on select written and visual clues.

On each recto, readers see the hindquarters of an animal, and three simple clues ask them to guess what kind of animal they may belong to. “I have long furry ears and a small nose. / I live in a burrow in the ground. / I have a white fluffy tail. / I AM A….” The splashy watercolor rear legs and tail are ambiguous enough that they may have readers second-guessing the obvious answer. Turning the page, however, readers discover both the well-defined front half of the animal and the animal’s name: “RABBIT.” Canty uses stock 19th-century animal illustrations layered with watercolor enhancements, creating a somber yet surprising tone. Two tailless animals, a frog and human readers, are included in the roster, making the “tails” referenced in the title symbolic rather than literal. Two red herrings, the image of a mouse between the clues for and image of an elephant and (inexplicably) a squirrel leading to a giraffe, fall flat, with no other cues to young readers that they are jokes. The quirky illustrations, earthy colors, and lack of exhibited enthusiasm will make this book’s audience a niche one. There is no backmatter.

A clever conceit but a bland execution. (Informational picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: Oct. 23, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-5362-0033-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: July 29, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
SHAPES AND COLORS
by John Canty ; illustrated by John Canty

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THE HUMAN BODY

From the PlayTabs series

by Stéphanie Babin ; illustrated by Ilaria Falorsi ; translated by Wendeline A. Hardenberg ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2019

Genial starter nonfiction.

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Panels activated by sliding tabs introduce youngsters to the human body.

The information is presented in matter-of-fact narration and captioned, graphically simple art featuring rounded lines, oversized heads and eyes, and muted colors. The sliding panels reveal new scenes on both sides of the page, and arrows on the large tabs indicate the direction to pull them (some tabs work left and right and others up and down). Some of the tabs show only slight changes (a white child reaches for a teddy bear, demonstrating how arms and hands work), while others are much more surprising (a different white child runs to a door and on the other side of the panel is shown sitting on the toilet). The double-page spreads employ broad themes as organizers, such as “Your Body,” “Eating Right,” and “Taking Care of Your Body.” Much of the content is focused on the outside of the body, but one panel does slide to reveal an X-ray image of a skeleton. While there are a few dark brown and amber skin tones, it is mostly white children who appear in the pages to demonstrate body movements, self-care, visiting the doctor, senses, and feelings. The companion volume, Baby Animals, employs the same style of sliding panels to introduce youngsters to little critters and their parents, from baboons to penguins.

Genial starter nonfiction. (Board book. 2-5)