With the attractive illustrations and design living somewhat apart from the sparse text, this functions more as a fetching...
A beach-loving crocodile overcomes his fear of the water with the help of his animal friends in this French import.
Fossil, a flip-flop– and goggle-clad crocodile, happily carries a host of animals (and their beach paraphernalia) on his back. As the anthropomorphic animals play in both sand and water, Fossil remains motionless, as he “is scared / to go in the water.” Finally, encouraged by his friends, the trepidatious reptile finally splashes in. The artwork, done with colored pencils and a pen, showcases simple, appealing characters who are introduced by name on the end pages, including Sonny, the bunny; Moomoo, the cow; and Piggy, the pig. Patterning is used to define different skin types and fur textures, and watching the busyness that surrounds Fossil as his friends play is highly diverting. However, unlike Richard Scarry’s Busytown books—which also contain multiple, detailed vignettes per spread—aside from small beach hijinks, there is little connective tissue to propel readers forward or enhance the bare-bones storytelling. Still, some may find a place for it on the overcoming-a-fear-of-swimming bookshelf.
With the attractive illustrations and design living somewhat apart from the sparse text, this functions more as a fetching coffee-table book than a story. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-61689-801-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
This TV rerun in board-book form has nothing new to offer.
Peppa hopes to join her classmates in a Halloween pumpkin competition in this adaptation of a story from the popular British television program Peppa Pig.
With the help of Granny and Grandpa Pig, Peppa turns her giant pumpkin, which is the size of a compact car, into a jack-o’-lantern. The trio is flummoxed when it comes time to transport the pumpkin to the competition, so they call on Miss Rabbit and her helicopter to airlift the pumpkin to the festivities as Peppa and her grandparents ride inside. Peppa arrives just in time for the contest and wins the prize for best flying pumpkin. The scenes look as if they are pulled directly from the television show, right down to the rectangular framing of some of the scenes. While the story is literally nothing new, the text is serviceable, describing the action in two to three sentences per page. The pumpkin-shaped book and orange foil cover will likely attract youngsters, whether they are Peppa fans or not.
This TV rerun in board-book form has nothing new to offer. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 30, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-33922-2
Page Count: 10
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019
Treacle drips from every page. Find self-esteem elsewhere.
The voice of an omniscient narrator, who may or may not be a caregiver, speaks directly to an unhappy child with an invitation to a very special place.
The child follows directions to the beautiful title isle “just across the bay.” Ferried across by a toy elephant in a sailboat, the child is given an enthusiastic welcome by more adorable animals and some other children. The little one swims in a waterfall, rides a giant eagle, relaxes in a hammock, and happily engages with some of the other children. Several of the activities are stereotypically girl-associated, and the other children appear to be girls with varying skin tones and hair textures; the little protagonist has light skin and a brown pageboy and is only suggested as female. After elaborate entertainments and a sweet feast, the child is assured that “someone loves you very, very, very much” before being borne safely home. Deep purple, bright pastel pink, and yellow watercolors dominate the color palette, creating a magical, otherworldly atmosphere. But it is also somewhat creepy as well. The Isle of You exists only for the protagonist’s happiness, even the other children there, who appear to have no existence in the real world. Apparently intended to build self-esteem and comfort, it seems to encourage self-centeredness instead, as does the ending play on the pronunciation of the title words.
Treacle drips from every page. Find self-esteem elsewhere. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Dec. 11, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7636-9116-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
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