Everyone knows that toddlers have energy to spare, and the Busy Bunnies are no exception. They wake up, jump on the bed,...
A winning playdate with brother and sister bunny takes readers from alarm clock to “lights out” via a very full day.
Everyone knows that toddlers have energy to spare, and the Busy Bunnies are no exception. They wake up, jump on the bed, ride a tandem bike, play ball and still find time for a quick outing in their sailboat. Illustrations are crisp, simple and uncluttered; interactive elements are potent but appropriately minimal. For example, each page has between one and three touch-activated motions with charming (and, in the case of a potty break, realistic) sound effects. Mattress springs “boing,” an alarm clock rings, bike horns and bells sound off and mommy bunny sneaks slurpy tastes as she stirs her carrot stew. After watering the garden, the bunnies take a bubble bath and are promptly hung out on a clothesline to dry. Once pyjama-clad (the Australian/British spelling of “pajama”) they settle sleepily in to bed and, when prompted, offer unlimited goodnight kisses, complete with bubble hearts. The book is so short and tidy it doesn’t seem odd that there’s no formal menu, but it would be nice to have the option of skipping to beginning or end without going through every page; this is a minor flaw, though.Pub Date: April 21, 2011
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Newleaf Solutions
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2011
Young dino fans will enjoy it, though their grown-ups may not.
What sounds did dinosaurs make? We don't really know.
Litton suggests some possibilities while introducing sophisticated vocabulary in a board-book format. Five dinosaurs are featured: Tyrannosaurus rex, Stegosaurus, Pterodactyl, Diplodocus, and Triceratops. For each species there is a brief description that highlights its distinctive features, followed by an invitation to hear and repeat the dinosaur's sound. There is no explanation for why scientists think T. Rex “roared,” Stegosaurus “howled,” Pterodactyl “screeched,” Diplodocus “growled,” or Triceratops “grunted.” The author tries to avoid sexism, carefully referring to two of the creatures as “she,” but those two are also described in stereotypically less-ferocious terms than the male dinos. The touch point on the Pterodactyl is a soft section of wing. Readers are told that Diplodocus “loved splashing in swamps,” and the instruction is to “tickle her tummy to hear her growl,” implying that this giant creature was gentle and friendly. None of this may matter to young paleontologists, who will enjoy finding the tactile section on each creature that triggers the sound. Despite extensive directions in small print, most parents and libraries won't bother to change the battery secured by a tiny hex screw, but while the battery lasts, the book will get lots of play.
Young dino fans will enjoy it, though their grown-ups may not. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-58925-207-3
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original...
A sweetened, condensed version of the best-selling picture book, The Kissing Hand.
As in the original, Chester Raccoon is nervous about attending Owl’s night school (raccoons are nocturnal). His mom kisses him on the paw and reminds him, “With a Kissing Hand… / We’ll never be apart.” The text boils the story down to its key elements, causing this version to feel rushed. Gone is the list of fun things Chester will get to do at school. Fans of the original may be disappointed that this board edition uses a different illustrator. Gibson’s work is equally sentimental, but her renderings are stiff and flat in comparison to the watercolors of Harper and Leak. Very young readers will probably not understand that Owl’s tree, filled with opossums, a squirrel, a chipmunk and others, is supposed to be a school.
Parents of toddlers starting school or day care should seek separation-anxiety remedies elsewhere, and fans of the original shouldn’t look to this version as replacement for their page-worn copies. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-933718-77-4
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Tanglewood Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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