Simple sentences and charming photos of puppies at play make this a sure toddler’s delight.
This book, together with its simultaneously published companion volumes, Bunnies Hop, Fish Swim, and Kittens Pounce, will engage young readers with a combination of kinetic animal photography, repeated sound effects, and short sentences introducing concepts of play and locomotion. This volume and the one on kittens particularly capitalize on the similar interests their subjects share with toddlers, namely a love of play and motion. One plaintive-eyed pup stares out wistfully, wondering, “Who will play with me?” and then, on the next page, announces, “Here is my friend. Wag, wag!” as two terrier puppies wrestle playfully in a field. Kittens play with balls and yarn, chase bubbles, and satisfy their ceaseless curiosity exploring empty boxes. They also stretch and snuggle. The volume on fish introduces some directional vocabulary (“Swim up. Swim down. Swim all around”) and does a creditable job of making the life of a fish seem exciting. The bunnies are adorable; they “hop,” “sniff,” and “munch,” among other things. Each type of animal appears in solo action and with friends. The uncomplicated concepts and colorful pictures mean that young readers can enjoy these books both with and without a caregiver to read them aloud.
Straightforward and accessible, this sturdy board book and its companions are aesthetically pleasing and designed for repeatability. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68152-196-1
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Amicus Ink
Review Posted Online: Nov. 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS
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Animal parents declare their love for their offspring in alphabetical order.
Each page displays an enormous capital letter, one line of verse with the keyword capitalized, and a loving nonhuman parent gazing adoringly at their baby. “A is for Always. I always love you more. / B is for Butterfly kisses. It’s you that I adore.” While not named or labelled as such, the A is also for an alligator and its hatchling and B is for a butterfly and a butterfly child (not a caterpillar—biology is not the aim of this title) interacting in some way with the said letter. For E there are an elephant and a calf; U features a unicorn and foal; and X, keyed to the last letter of the animal’s name, corresponds to a fox and three pups. The final double-page spread shows all the featured creatures and their babies as the last line declares: “Baby, I love you from A to Z!” The verse is standard fare and appropriately sentimental. The art is cartoony-cute and populated by suitably loving critters on solid backgrounds. Hearts accent each scene, but the theme of the project is never in any doubt.
Perfect for Valentine’s Day, but the syrupy sweetness will cloy after the holiday. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-2095-6
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS
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This simple board book invites little ones to greet baby farm animals (including frog, bunny, and bee) with their corresponding sounds.
The first double-page spread greets readers with a bright yellow smiling sun and the text “Hello, Sun. / Hello, Day. / Wake up, babies. / Time to play!” Each succeeding spread has a distinct, gently patterned background, with very brief text on the verso (“Hello Puppy! / Woof Woof”). Filling up the recto is a vibrant illustration of the baby animal’s face, wide eyed and smiling, outlined in black. The final spread presents the face of a cute baby with chalky brown-gray skin, bright black eyes, and short black hair: “Goo Goo.” Babies and toddlers will enjoy looking at the baby faces, animals and human, and repeating the sounds. A companion book, Goodnight Bear, has a similar pattern of text and illustrations, though the palette is suitably darker. The moon, surprisingly, has its eyes shut, and succeeding spreads depict an owlet, a baby bat, a baby hedgehog, and other familiar nocturnal baby animals, all wide-awake and smiling. The final spread depicts a cute baby with pale skin, blond hair, and closed eyes.
It’s not exactly original, but the execution, with familiar, appealing Cabrera illustrations, is attractive and perfect for the target audience. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0430-0
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
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