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LOOK OUT, CAT!

Name: LOOK OUT, CAT!
Author: Rebecca Purcell
ISBN: 978-1-80036-008-2

From the Cat's Adventures series

by Rebecca Purcell ; illustrated by Rebecca Purcell ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 2021

Move over, Spot, there’s a new Cat in town.

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Cat skateboards past animals in this board book that showcases rhymes.

Purcell’s Cat, from Cat Goes Fast (2020) and other titles, is back on wheels again. As Cat zips by via skateboard, other animals also whiz along, each with its own descriptive rhyme. There’s a goose “on the loose,” a duck “in a truck,” and a bear “in the air,” for example. The formulaic setup line “Look out, Cat!” is always followed by the approaching animal’s rhyme and appropriate onomatopoeia. It’s this familiar cadence that helps little readers begin to predict what will come next, the oinks or beeps often appearing before a page turn, inviting prediction and participation. It all proceeds per formula until the giggle-producing bait and switch as Rat appears without a rhyme but carrying ice cream cones to share with Cat. As with the other Cat books, the illustrations are simple, with bold blue backgrounds and a bit of grass across the bottom of each page. It serves to emphasize Cat’s movement around the page, making subtle changes more pronounced, encouraging readers to notice them. The only disappointment in the illustrations is the fly that looks confusingly like a gray bee. As a bonus, the book does not include any gendered pronouns. Purcell’s careful use of language and simple, thoughtful illustration are the strengths of this series.

Move over, Spot, there’s a new Cat in town. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-80036-008-2

Page Count: 22

Publisher: Tiny Seed

Review Posted Online: May 4, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE MONSTER READS A BOOK
by Rebecca Purcell

- BOOK REVIEW
COUNTING WITH OWL AND BIRD
by Rebecca Purcell ; illustrated by Rebecca Purcell

- BOOK REVIEW
CAT HAS ONE SHOE
by Rebecca Purcell ; illustrated by Rebecca Purcell

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THE ITSY BITSY BUNNY

by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Sanja Rešček ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 5, 2016

Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead.

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An Easter-themed board-book parody of the traditional nursery rhyme.

Unfortunately, this effort is just as sugary and uninspired as The Itsy Bitsy Snowman, offered by the same pair in 2015. A cheerful white bunny hops through a pastel world to distribute candy and treats for Easter but spills his baskets. A hedgehog, fox, mouse, and various birds come to the bunny’s rescue, retrieving the candy, helping to devise a distribution plan, and hiding the eggs. Then magically, they all fly off in a hot air balloon as the little animals in the village emerge to find the treats. Without any apparent purpose, the type changes color to highlight some words. For very young children every word is new, so highlighting “tiny tail” or “friends” makes no sense. Although the text is meant to be sung, the words don't quite fit the rhythm of the original song. Moreover, there are not clear motions to accompany the text; without the fingerplay movements, this book has none of the satisfying verve of the traditional version.

Leave the hopping to Peter Cottontail and sing the original song instead. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-4814-5621-0

Page Count: 16

Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S POETRY

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE DREIDELS
by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Juliana Motzko

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WHEELS ON THE DUMP TRUCK
by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Alison Brown

- BOOK REVIEW
THE ITSY BITSY ANGEL
by Jeffrey Burton ; illustrated by Sanja Rešček

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SMILE, POUT-POUT FISH

by Deborah Diesen ; illustrated by Dan Hanna ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 2014

An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.

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This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.

Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.

An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)