A tour of the big top, with scores of flaps to lift. The colorful surprises in Munro’s book begin with the inside cover, where a striped tent can be lifted to reveal a clown holding several strings and a ringmaster in a top hat. Lift the clown and discover the author’s name spelled out on balloons. Lift the ringmaster’s hat and it tips in welcome. The reader gets to visit virtually every member of the circus family: trapeze artists, trained horses, acrobats, high-wire walkers, elephants, lions and their tamers. Many of the flaps have extra discoveries—the high-wire bicyclist rides all the way from one side of his two-page spread to the other via a multi-fold flap. The penultimate picture features two flaps that open to reveal the entire circus spread over four pages. There’s very little text, but each two-page spread features a Waldo-esque challenge to find various items. A winning concept expertly executed; could become a young child’s favorite book. (Picture book. 2-7)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-8118-5209-1
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2006
A muddled message shoots for the moon but never quite gets all the way off the ground.
A little mouse experiences BIG changes thanks to a spectacular talent.
Dee’s a singer to her core. She croons absolutely everywhere, so when her teacher Miss Pink suggests that her students bring in something that symbolizes what they enjoy doing, Dee brings in a song. As she sings it, however, her joy causes her to physically grow huge! At first this makes her feel special, but as the day goes on she feels lonely and out of place. Shrinking back to her normal size, she worries that this means she can never sing again. But thanks to the encouragement of her mother and little sister, she realizes that being special is nothing to be ashamed of. However, though her classmates have skills of their own, only Dee changes, indicating that some talents are more transformative than others. After all, while everyone is enthralled by Dee, Ren the turtle’s talent for drawing a replica of a space station is something he “made everyone watch.” The true standout in this show comes from Sinquett’s dynamic art, capable of encompassing the emotional highs and lows of elementary school kids. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A muddled message shoots for the moon but never quite gets all the way off the ground. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-368-07806-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A snappy rhyming text celebrates an extended family’s joyous gyrations to the jazz spinning on the turntable. From waking to sleep, Baby’s right in the thick of it, as siblings, grandparents and cousins move and groove: “So they BOOM-BOOM-BOOM / and they HIP-HIP-HOP / and the bouncin’ baby boogies with a BOP-BOP-BOP.” Wheeler’s verse scans beautifully and begs to be read aloud—danced to, even—making this a fine choice for preschool and kindergarten story times. Christie’s bold, double-paged gouache compositions locate this colorfully garbed, expressively hip family within an equally vibrant community. As Baby’s big dark eyes get glassy with fatigue, the party winds down. “Daddy sings blues. / Mama sings sweet. / While that snoozy-woozy baby . . . / . . . sleeps deep, deep, deep.” Exultant and infectious, from the red-and-yellow-striped endpapers to the final “OH YEAH!” (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-15-202522-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2007
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