It’s finally OK for kids to press buttons! This interactive story will empower, educate, and entertain young readers who are...
The act of reading a picture book has never gotten so out of control.
When Bella and Ben attempt to play with a remote-control fire truck, playtime goes awry—first for Bella’s big, spotted dog and then for the main characters themselves. Before long, things are upside down, sideways, switched around, and out of control, and the only way to fix everything is for readers to press the proper buttons to get the book that they are reading back under control. The remote, which is almost as large as the characters and contains simple directional buttons, such as “up,” “down,” “spin,” and “squirt” (!), will be irresistible to tiny fingers. Bold red text conveys a sense of mild—yet exciting—alarm and will keep readers on the edges of their seats, just waiting for the book to get out of control. Minimalist backgrounds and pages splattered with bright colors keep readers’ eyes trained solely on the story; however, the bright palette does not distract from the book’s absence of characters of color—Bella and Ben both appear to be white. The book concludes with a challenge, inviting readers to figure out which button hasn’t yet been pressed. Once readers figure it out, they will undoubtedly want to read the book all over again.
It’s finally OK for kids to press buttons! This interactive story will empower, educate, and entertain young readers who are on the path to independent reading. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62779-933-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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