A smiling boy, dressed in a green T-shirt, jeans, and socks that are about to fall off his feet, wants to have a picnic, but his six little friendsWhitey, the bear; George, the monkey; Hippo; Croc; Millie, the elephant; and Wilson, the giraffeare hiding from him. While the boy narrates his search in catchy rhymes, readers lift up flapslooking under the blankets, inside boxesand discover the missing, as well as the end of the rhyme. Not only do children have the satisfaction of finding the animals, but they have words to shout as they search. Butterworth (The Rescue Party, 1993, etc.) employs good cheer in drawings that make the whole venture extremely user-friendly. (Picture book. 1-5)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-316-11932-6
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1995
A somewhat less didactic take on the nature of difference than that found in Bogacki's Cat & Mouse (1995). Two creatures—one that looks like an animated pencil and the other, much larger, like a furry, four-footed tribble—engage each other. ``I like you!'' says the furry one. ``I hate you!'' replies the little one, which goes on to enumerate the things it hates: the furry one's shape (under which it hides in a rain storm); the furry one's teeth (which protect the little one from attackers); the furry one's eyes (whose bright beams illuminate the darkness). When the large creature finally retreats under this barrage, the little one implores, ``Don't go away! I like you!'' in typical toddler manner. The colors are bright, the edges fuzzy, and the whole thing will please those who think no picture book should be without its message. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: March 18, 1997
ISBN: 0-374-33544-3
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1997
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Each of these once-upon-a-time tales takes one of two tacks: mild moralizing or wish fulfillment. The ones that moralize feel smug and pat: A greedy little boy learns to share when another boy barks back; a toy is found, after much searching, in the toy chest where it should be; a bath-wary girl jumps in when a toy whale smiles at her. The wish-fulfilling tales have a measure of endearment: An early riser persuades his father to listen to birdsong with him; a father who thinks he doesn't have time to play finds some; a boy who forgot to give his mother a kiss good- bye in the morning delivers one that night upon her return. Each story is amiably concluded in two clipped pages, with Stevenson's illustrations to capture toddler imaginations. Although even two-year-olds will understand that events in the world are not always resolved so smoothly, the mood is upbeat. Simplistic and benign. (Picture book. 2-4)
Pub Date: March 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-688-14706-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1997
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