A sugarplum-sweet treat.
The diminutive star of Bea at Ballet (2012) returns for an encore, this time dancing the starring role of Clara in a production of The Nutcracker ballet.
In a charming and accessible introduction to the beloved holiday classic, Bea and her ballet school classmates perform a simplified interpretation of The Nutcracker. The group of dancers, who appear to be only 3 or 4 years old, includes adorably costumed children of different ethnicities, indicated by hairstyles and facial features rather than skin tone, as the children are outlined against white backgrounds. The ballet’s plot is skillfully summarized, including integral elements such as the Nutcracker/Prince, the battle between the mice and the soldiers, and the visit to the Land of Sweets. (Godfather Drosselmeyer and the scary Mouse King are absent.) The text, set in attractive silvery type, is just one sentence per page plus some speech balloons, reduced to the simplest terms that even young preschoolers will easily comprehend. Isadora is a former ballet dancer who has been writing and illustrating children’s books about ballet for over 30 years. She conveys the magical aspects of the beloved holiday ballet in an easy, straightforward way that will prepare first-time attendees for a holiday performance. There are many attractive picture-book versions of The Nutcracker available, but this is by far the simplest interpretation in print.
A sugarplum-sweet treat. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-399-25231-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Leave this on the shelf and take the kids outside to really move.
An interactive board book promises a variety of experiences.
A book that gets kids up and moving sounds like a great idea. The half-circle cutout of the spine and large handle formed by another die cut on the right side are intriguing. Unfortunately, the rhyming instructions for using the book as an exercise prop are confusing. Even adults will find themselves puzzled when told to “paddle the floor,” or to “hang on the handles. Step over the book. / You're a turtle in its shell! Go peek out and look.” The busy pictures shift perspective according to each scenario presented but give few visual clues. For example, the only hint of a dinosaur on the page where readers are told to “put this book to your mouth and let out a roar” like a dinosaur are the teeth that line the edges of what is meant to be a gaping maw. It’s not always obvious whether the book is meant to be facing readers or turned away from them, adding another layer of confusion. Furthermore, many of the instructions run counter to how young children are typically taught to treat books, as when they are told to step on it and then waddle or to lift it with their feet. The relatively thin board pages and weak handles will soon be torn by normal handling; following the directions in the text will only hasten the destruction.
Leave this on the shelf and take the kids outside to really move. (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 3, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7611-8733-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
A sweet but not essential book.
A whole host of children presents a whole host of balls in this new installment in the Baby Unplugged series.
There are so many kinds of balls in this little board book. Big ball, shiny ball, game ball, plain ball, spot ball. And not all are necessarily balls. Some are round objects, like the snowball and the clay ball or the blueberry that is a “tiny ball.” Some balls are verb balls, like the “throw ball, / catch ball, / go ball, / fetch ball!” There is even a gotcha! ball that’s “not ball”—it’s a cube! And all these balls are being played with by an equally eclectic group of children. African-American, Asian, brown-skinned, and blond and brunette white children are all represented here in illustrations that are charming and clear but not particularly artful. It feels as though both author and illustrator are trying so hard to include so much that they’ve almost forgotten to have fun. It’s reminiscent of One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish but without the spark that turns an OK book into a timeless classic. Best suited for young children who are already quite verbal.
A sweet but not essential book. (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: April 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-936669-42-4
Page Count: 14
Publisher: blue manatee press
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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