Useful for toddling birders in need of board books about colors.
Gorgeous birds amid foliage of similar hues introduce eight basic colors.
The two birds presented on each spread not only are of similar coloration, but also live in the same North American habitat. A scarlet tanager and a cardinal, both male, perch in a red maple tree; a male Eastern bluebird and a blue jay appear with morning glories and blueberries. The name of each color is printed in large font, while the name of each bird is in a much smaller one. Whether the bird shown is male or female, or if the male and female have similar coloring, is also indicated. The names of the trees they perch upon are identified in a note on the back cover. These details will be lost on most toddlers, but caregivers will appreciate being able to answer questions knowledgeably. Colors featured are from the standard box of crayons, except that pink is substituted for purple. Black and white share a spread. The cover image, of a cardinal, goldfinch, and bluebird in a birdbath, is not nearly as inviting as the images within. The final spread shows children (one white, one black, one Asian) assembling a puzzle that includes the same birds. This may serve as a reprise but will probably be skipped over. Bird-loving readers will probably feel that the space could have been put to better use by giving white birds their own page or adding a purple martin.
Useful for toddling birders in need of board books about colors. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: May 2, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-58089-742-6
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The perfect baby-shower gift for Brooklyn hipsters, but all others, including the core baby-toddler audience, should...
A baby’s everyday world is paired with the sites and trends of Brooklyn, New York.
The left-hand page displays something a toddler might recognize (blocks, dominoes, and a rocking horse, for instance) with corresponding landmarks claimed by Brooklyn hipsters (Brooklyn Bridge, the Domino Sugar factory, and Jane’s Carousel) on the facing page. The art is graphically interesting, with flat planes of highly saturated, digital color on solid backgrounds as simple, white captions float above. A few of the images are toddler-friendly, such as the ABC blocks that are matched with the subway logos for the J/M/Z trains, but most will prove too abstract for little ones still learning to name their world. Human figures are created by layering just some features on the negative space of the backgrounds, which means almost all lack significant facial features and several even lack limbs. Many of the scenes are quite adult (a row of tap handles from a “Biergarten” is paired with a line of kindergarten students) and others are so specific to the “hipster” parts of north Brooklyn (two people running to catch the always-too-short-for-the-platform G train; a passenger “manspreading” on the L train) that they might not even be understood by residents from south Brooklyn.
The perfect baby-shower gift for Brooklyn hipsters, but all others, including the core baby-toddler audience, should “Fuhgeddaboudit.” (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: April 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-57687-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: POW!
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
A spectacular addition to the bathtime routine.
Pond animals join little ones in the tub.
The flora and fauna of the pond come to life in this bathtime book. Bold black-and-white illustrations are printed on foam-filled fabric-paper pages, thick lines creating easily identifiable creatures that are also fairly realistic. When the book is submerged in water, bright primary colors spontaneously burst through, bringing the animals to life. Little ones will delight in having a book to read in the tub. Caregivers can also give their little readers paintbrushes and cups of water to dip in and “paint” the animals by hand. The animals include a swan, a water vole, a family of ducks (that, charmingly, say, “quackity quack”), a fish, and a dragonfly. Series companion Color Me: Who’s in the Ocean publishes concurrently and features a crab, a jellyfish, a whale, an octopus, and a sea horse. The fabric dries quickly and is ready to be dunked in the water many times over.
A spectacular addition to the bathtime routine. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68297-140-6
Page Count: 8
Publisher: QEB Publishing
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
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