Lively illustrations give oodles of discussion topics, making this a book young children will love listening to over and...
Page after rhyming page, playful words dance from beginning to end in this read-aloud for the very young.
“Stretchy / yawny / wide awake at dawn-y.” Waking with a morning stretch, one child starts the action as different children are shown throughout a day full of inside and outside activities. According to the second-person text, each child is “a buzzy, busy bee” until they fall into bed, “comfy, cozy” at the end of the story. The diverse cast of young children interact with one another in scenes brimming with exciting details. As the day moves from morning to evening, the journey includes a summertime backyard garden, a cheery, toy-filled playroom, a make-believe theater complete with an audience of stuffed animals, and the craft room in a library. Children will enjoy the singsong pace of the text as they follow the characters from place to place. Little ones can point out familiar events (pre–Covid-19, that is) such as going to the market and stopping at the playground on the way home. The endpapers are just as much fun as the book. Seventeen colorful miniscenes are packed with whimsies of their own. This bonus gives extra material for making up even more stories to entertain wiggly preschoolers. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 75% of actual size.)
Lively illustrations give oodles of discussion topics, making this a book young children will love listening to over and over. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4572-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: Dec. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...
A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.
Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Although a bit on the slight side, this offering is infused with a warm, light humor just right for cuddling up with a young...
This title previously published in the U.K. takes a cozy look at all kinds of kisses.
Walsh’s rhyming text is full of cutesy rhythms: “Kisses on noses, kisses on toes-es. Sudden kisses when you least supposes.” Sometimes the phrasing stumbles: “Who likes to kiss? I do! I do! Even the shy do. Why not try, too?” But toddlers and young preschoolers will probably not mind. They will be too engaged in spotting the lively penguin on each spread and too charmed by Abbot’s winsome illustrations that fittingly extend the wording in the story. Patient dogs queue up for a smooch from a frog prince, cool blue “ ’normous elephants” contrast strikingly with bright red “little tiny ants” and a bewildered monkey endures a smattering of lipstick kisses. Be the kiss small or tall, one to start or end the day, young readers are reminded that “the very best kiss… / is a kiss from you!” Perhaps no big surprise but comforting nonetheless.
Although a bit on the slight side, this offering is infused with a warm, light humor just right for cuddling up with a young tyke or sharing with a gathering for storytime. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Dec. 20, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2769-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2011
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