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PEEK-A MOO! by Nina Laden Kirkus Star

PEEK-A MOO!

From the Peek-a series

by Nina Laden ; illustrated by Nina Laden

Pub Date: Aug. 29th, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4521-5474-9
Publisher: Chronicle Books

A rhyming and guessing delight for infants and toddlers.

The latest entry in author Laden’s popular Peek-a series takes readers on a fun-filled trip to a farm in search of agricultural rhymes for “Moo.” The words “Peek a” challenge children to guess who or what lies on the other side of the die-cut window on the opposite page. Behind a field of sprouting green shoots is a full-grown tomato (“Peek a GREW!”); a feed bag conceals a toothy nag chomping on hay (“Peek a CHEW!”). A rooster (“Peek a COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!”), a sheep (“Peek a EWE!”), and a mirror (“Peek a YOU, TOO!”) round out the festivities. The book is just right for small hands, and it’s sturdy enough to withstand them. The artwork is irresistible: bright colors show off the simple but elegant design. The images are deceptively cartoonish, even crude at first glance, but every drawing is embellished with meticulous, symmetrical shading suggestive of woodblock prints. The animals have loads of personality; the farming scenes and props are uncluttered, with just the right amount of detail. The rhyme scheme makes the vocabulary easy to remember, and, while the gags may not set new standards in literary humor, the element of page-turning surprise and the ever popular peekaboo motif should have little ones howling with laughter.

A soon-to-be favorite that kids will love hearing, and, later, paging through by themselves.

(Board book. 6 mos.-5)