The deceptively simple and visually appealing My Turn to Learn series is a great tool for introducing basic concepts to the...
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Best Books Of 2013
by Natalie Marshall ; illustrated by Natalie Marshall ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 10, 2013
This simple counting book starring a sweet brown bear is perfect for little hands.
The first spread introduces readers to a brown bear wearing a green hat and scarf and a small smile. It reads simply: “ONE bear.” Throughout the title, the number words are in large capital letters, and the nouns that follow them appear in cursive, an unusual choice for a board book and one that adds a touch of whimsy to the sweet, digitally produced illustrations. In the remaining page spreads, the brown bear is pictured with two owls (perched atop his head), three blue birds, four flowers and five puffy white clouds. Numbers six to 10 are grouped together on a final page spread. Large tabs labeled 1 through 5 run down the length of the rightmost edge of this sturdy selection, making it a cinch for little hands to grasp and open. Other titles in this charming series include My Turn to Learn Colors (978-0-316-25163-1), featuring a bunny and his vegetable garden; My Turn to Learn Opposites (978-0-316-25165-5), starring two adorable purple owls; and My Turn to Learn Shapes (978-0-316-25166-2), focused on a mama hen and her sweet baby chicks on the farm. Families will want them all.
The deceptively simple and visually appealing My Turn to Learn series is a great tool for introducing basic concepts to the littlest readers. (Board book. 0-3)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-316-25164-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: LB Kids/Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
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by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 2, 2018
Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.
This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-93809-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 4, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION
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by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph
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by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 4, 2018
A sweet celebration of the bond between a mother and her Pookie.
The eighth installment in this always charming series eschews the episodic drama and silliness of earlier outing such as Spooky Pookie (2015) in favor of a mom’s-eye-view celebration of her child and the time they spend together. There is, of course, nothing wrong with drama and silliness. But while the lack of conflict and plot in favor of unapologetic sentiment makes this book a quick read, that doesn’t make it any less endearing. The rhymed verse captures a mother’s wonder as she observes the many facets of her child’s personality: “Ah, Pookie. My little one. My funny one. My child. // Sometimes you are quiet. Sometimes you are wild.” On the simple joys of shared moments, she notes, “I love to go walking with you by my side. / I love when we sing when we go for a ride. // And I love just to watch as you think and you play. / The way that you are is a wonderful way.” Paired with author/illustrator Boynton’s irresistible renderings of a porcine mommy and her playful, snuggly little piglet, the result is impossible to fault. Whether quietly reading, running in a tiger suit, singing with mom in the car, ears flapping in the breeze, or enjoying the safety of mom’s embrace, Pookie’s appeal continues unabated.
An unabashed love letter from mother. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Dec. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5344-3723-4
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS
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