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GO WILD WITH... DESIGNS

Name: GO WILD WITH... DESIGNS
Author: Neal Layton
ISBN: 978-1-84365-176-5

by Neal Layton & illustrated by Neal Layton ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2012

Overall, this colorful concept connects the right dots for a toddler audience

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Single-word labels highlight a creative range of designs.

Animal bodies and patterns comprise this repertoire of recognizable shapes. Some examples include natural markings found on animals' bodies, such as a Dalmatian’s spots or a giraffe's patches; others exploit the actual nuance of the body. Among the latter, the "star" made by the sea star is obvious, while the curve of the swan's neck may require adult interpretation for children to understand. Even the unadorned hippo gets a chance to shine; the accompanying text reads “plain.” Some arrangements extend into the background; the zebra's stripes find an echo in the blades of grass. Other background scenes seem boldly barren. The British import adds a child-friendly emphasis to the subjects' appearances through wobbly dark lines, googly-eyed faces and disproportionate limbs. There's not a menacing creature to be found; even the slithering reptile wears a timid expression. Arrows serve as a fitting final shape, as the bird's feet march right off the page. In Go Wild with…Noises, appropriate sounds correspond to living creatures, both wild and domestic; the elephant (“thump”) lumbers with stomping feet.

Overall, this colorful concept connects the right dots for a toddler audience . (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: June 1, 2012

ISBN: 978-1-84365-176-5

Page Count: 12

Publisher: Trafalgar Square

Review Posted Online: May 29, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
A TICKET TO KALAMAZOO!
by James Carter ; illustrated by Neal Layton

- BOOK REVIEW
LOOK! I WROTE A BOOK!
by Sally Lloyd-Jones ; illustrated by Neal Layton

- BOOK REVIEW
DANNY MCGEE DRINKS THE SEA
by Andy Stanton ; illustrated by Neal Layton

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ALL ABOUT ME

From the Look & Learn series

by National Geographic ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 11, 2014

Clear nonfiction for the very young is hard to come by, and it appears that the Look & Learn series may finally be on...

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An exploration of the human body through colorful photos.

Every other double-page spread labels the individual parts on one major area: head, torso, back, arm and leg. Ethnically diverse boy-girl pairs serve as models as arrows point to specific features and captions float nearby. While the book usefully mentions rarely depicted body parts, such as eyebrow, armpit and shin, some of the directional arrows are unclear. The arrow pointing at a girl’s shoulder hits her in the upper arm, and the belly button is hard is distinguish from the stomach (both are concealed by shirts). Facts about the human body (“Guess what? You have tiny hairs in your nose that keep out dirt”) appear on alternating spreads along with photos of kids in action. Baby Animals, another title in the Look & Learn series, uses an identical format to introduce readers to seal pups, leopard cubs, elephant calves, ducklings and tadpoles. In both titles, the final spread offers a review of the information and encourages readers to match baby animals to their parents or find body parts on a photo of kids jumping on a trampoline.

Clear nonfiction for the very young is hard to come by, and it appears that the Look & Learn series may finally be on the right track despite earlier titles that were much too conceptual for the audience. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)

Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-4263-1483-4

Page Count: 24

Publisher: National Geographic

Review Posted Online: April 29, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
BIRDS
by Ruth A. Musgrave

- BOOK REVIEW
LOOK OUTSIDE
by National Geographic Kids ; illustrated by National Geographic Kids

- BOOK REVIEW
LOOK UP
by Ruth A. Musgrave ; photographed by National Geographic Kids

- BOOK REVIEW
5,000 AWESOME FACTS (ABOUT ANIMALS!)
by National Geographic

- BOOK REVIEW
WILD ANIMAL SOUNDS
by National Geographic

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SKULL IN THE ROCK
by Lee R. Berger ; Marc Aronson ; developed by National Geographic

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HELLO LAMB

by Jane Cabrera ; illustrated by Jane Cabrera ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 17, 2017

It’s not exactly original, but the execution, with familiar, appealing Cabrera illustrations, is attractive and perfect for...

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This simple board book invites little ones to greet baby farm animals (including frog, bunny, and bee) with their corresponding sounds.

The first double-page spread greets readers with a bright yellow smiling sun and the text “Hello, Sun. / Hello, Day. / Wake up, babies. / Time to play!” Each succeeding spread has a distinct, gently patterned background, with very brief text on the verso (“Hello Puppy! / Woof Woof”). Filling up the recto is a vibrant illustration of the baby animal’s face, wide eyed and smiling, outlined in black. The final spread presents the face of a cute baby with chalky brown-gray skin, bright black eyes, and short black hair: “Goo Goo.” Babies and toddlers will enjoy looking at the baby faces, animals and human, and repeating the sounds. A companion book, Goodnight Bear, has a similar pattern of text and illustrations, though the palette is suitably darker. The moon, surprisingly, has its eyes shut, and succeeding spreads depict an owlet, a baby bat, a baby hedgehog, and other familiar nocturnal baby animals, all wide-awake and smiling. The final spread depicts a cute baby with pale skin, blond hair, and closed eyes.

It’s not exactly original, but the execution, with familiar, appealing Cabrera illustrations, is attractive and perfect for the target audience. (Board book. 1-3)