Pass on this one for other more successful titles in this line of board books based on Dahl's stories.
Dahl’s classics—featuring Blake’s labeled illustrations—are revisited for a vocabulary lesson aimed at the very young.
Several of Dahl and Blake’s collaborative works are referenced here, from The Twits (1980) to Fantastic Mr. Fox (1970) and Esio Trot (1990). Blake’s illustrations are the highlight and focus, as truly this is just a book of labeled illustrations. The text does pose some questions (“How many balloons can you count?” “Can you spot all 5 chickens?”), but these types of inviting inquiries don’t appear on every page. Instead of rich, unusual vocabulary, we see a retread of toddler familiars like chicken, girl, man, and bird. The illustrations do provide plenty to observe along with some silliness, like a toilet and sink crash-banging out of a second-floor window. These images are more relevant with context from the original texts but can still be interesting to those who are too young to be aware of those classics. But overall, this title is really intended to appeal to adults who grew up on Dahl’s books and are eager to introduce those stories to a new generation. The book rests on Blake’s iconic images rather than offering meaningful purpose or integration with the text. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Pass on this one for other more successful titles in this line of board books based on Dahl's stories. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-52865-5
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Nov. 28, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2022
An inventive and extensive counting experience that will delight youngsters.
Shaped pages help youngsters count to 10 and beyond.
Two stylish double-page spreads are devoted to each number one through 10 and then, counting by 10s, to 100. In the first spread, the right-hand side is a page-high, die-cut numeral that spills off the page; to its left, a squirrel holds an acorn. With the turn of the page, there’s a transformation. “One acorn becomes… / one oak tree!” A portion of the object, animal or person being altered is visible through the die-cut openings; a sand castle peeks through the “0” of the number 10, for instance. Once the page is turned, the background from the previous left-hand page merges with the full double-page spread. As in the earlier Alphablock (2013), the helpfulness of these visual hints is uneven. After 10, 20 caterpillars become 20 butterflies, 30 baskets of cucumbers become 30 jars of pickles, and 40 eggs become 39 chicks and one dinosaur. The whole shebang ends with 100 puzzle pieces fitting together into “one big puzzle!” in the book’s only double gatefold. Peskimo’s muted color palette and droll cartoon style works well with the playful concept. The same worries about the binding that arose with Alphablock are an issue here, but the conceit will likely appeal to older children anyway.
An inventive and extensive counting experience that will delight youngsters. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4197-1374-3
Page Count: 94
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2015
Especially for fans of big trucks and machinery.
When hard work needs to get done, who’re you gonna call?
Young construction-vehicle mavens will enjoy this fun romp that takes them through a cheery bright-orange excavator’s typical workday: crushing garbage and loading it into a dump truck; helping with the installation of a new water pipe after the old one broke and spewed water through a city street; and digging a deep, wide hole in which to plant the mayor’s new tree. Through all these tough, painstaking tasks, the excavator “wears” an ever present smiling face, headlights standing in for large, bright eyes. Jaunty verses that mostly read and scan well narrate the brisk proceedings, and listeners are likely to want to chime in whenever the excavator’s assistance is called for in refrains such as “We need you, Orange Excavator!”—set in orange type, of course. The unfamiliar word excavator in itself should excite little ones because of its length, juicy mouth feel, and aural appeal. Kids will also appreciate the lively, though generic, illustrations; enhancing visual interest are several words throughout set in larger, colored capitals. The excavator’s driver is brown-skinned; other workers and passersby are diverse in skin tone and age. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Especially for fans of big trucks and machinery. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-20240-1
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
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