Young children preferring a light touch will enjoy this one, others can look elsewhere.
A frog experiences different kinds of weather in this sweetly illustrated board book.
The book starts with a “Wake up, Weather!” Readers find a frog asleep in a hammock of cattail leaves, and the sun is sizzling. As the book progresses the weather evolves. There is rain, fog, snow, clouds, wind, and, finally, when the stars come out, the book ends with a “Goodnight, Weather!” Accompanying the changing weather throughout the book, the frog skips from lily pad to lily pad in rain boots in the rain; climbs a ladder to peek above the fog; ice skates in the swirling snow; floats on a cloud; parallels the whispering wind by whispering to a fellow frog; and, finally, when the weather presumably goes to sleep, so does the frog in the hammock. The true value of the book lies in the richness of the verbs used: “sizzles,” “puddles,” “creeps,” “swirls,” “float,” “whispers,” “shimmer.” The watercolor illustrations have a light, airy, and delicate feel, and the big smile on the frog’s face is a friendly invitation to follow the action. And yet, there is a spark missing to the whole. The pastel-colored, soft-edged illustrations communicate little energy, and the intrusion of snow into what otherwise could be seen as a narrative occurring in one day feels off (if pedagogically excusable).
Young children preferring a light touch will enjoy this one, others can look elsewhere. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 8, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-56846-286-8
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Creative Editions/Creative Company
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
It's easier to be the hunter than the hunted in this board book that represents the food chain.
Each character appears safe at first glance, but a neutral or smug facial expression turns to trepidation when a predator (or pesky nuisance) hurries it off the page. A frog chases the bee; a snake pursues the frog; a mongoose hunts the snake, and so on: “Scary mongoose, / scary mongoose… / why do you flee? // Because there's a fierce lion chasing me!” There's no relief from the hunt in this circular tale; even the king of the jungle expresses fear when a hunter in safari gear approaches with a net, and guess who's after the hunter? Exaggerated body language and comical facial expressions blunt any potential fright. Italicized type emphasizes rhythmic phrases. The mixed-media scenes feature squiggly black lines that convey energy and movement. The brevity of the text suits the compact offering. Unfortunately, this selection suffers from an unnecessary tactile gimmick. Due to sparkling fabric wings on the cover, a choking-hazard label warns the selection unsuitable for children younger than 3; it's simply a puzzling decision, as the toddler audience would benefit the most from these sturdy pages. This unnecessary, flimsy accessory diminishes the book’s effectiveness. (Board book. 2-4)
Pub Date: April 3, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-316-12707-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: LB Kids/Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 29, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012
Hands down, this subject is a poor choice for a board format.
This hand-shaped effort describes the purpose and power behind people's hands.
Wordy spreads discuss the differences between right and left, challenging readers to examine them and use them in a variety of ways. The text is utterly at odds developmentally with the toddling audience. “Cross your wrists so that your RIGHT hand is now on the LEFT and your LEFT hand is now on the RIGHT.” The text asks the child listeners to place their hands over the front and back covers (in the shape of two hands) to distinguish their right from left. Unfortunately, the pages' shapes are the opposite inside, so the "right hand" appears on the left side when facing readers. A hodgepodge of instructions and vignettes clutters the already cramped pages. Tiny cartoon illustrations sometimes appear odd and even disconcerting in context. “Do any of your other fingers do special things? We use our forefinger to say, be quiet!” The corresponding image depicts a slouching boy with trumpet in hand; a woman towers over him with her shaking finger in an angry reprimand.
Hands down, this subject is a poor choice for a board format. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: March 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7641-6517-7
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Barron's
Review Posted Online: June 12, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012
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