A solid introduction to things seen above.
Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! A plane! And lots of other things!
This board book explores everything the sky has to offer. From kites to bubbles to rainbows, the atmosphere holds many lovely things, and little readers will get to know many of them with this simple read. At the start of each section, little ones are told to “Look up!” and spot each individual object in the sky. Once it’s been identified, the text gives small supporting details in the following double-page spread (“The wind blows the kite in the air”; “A bubble is round”) before moving on to another aerial object. The pictures are bright and keenly composed, using National Geographic’s trademark straightforward style. The children depicted are all light-skinned. Companion title Peek-a-boo is published concurrently and uses the same narrative structure to introduce little readers to creatures living in the wild. Both books are simple but effective.
A solid introduction to things seen above. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4263-2454-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: National Geographic Kids
Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Toddlers and young preschoolers, both independently and in groups, will enjoy both the guessing game and the simple,...
An engaging, lift-the-flap riddle book that will keep little ones guessing.
The left side of each double-page spread offers a short, rhyming couplet describing a certain type of animal’s movement. For instance, the book begins with: “When we move, we are pretty slow. / Waddling keeps us warm in snow.” On the right side of the page is the question “Who are we?” printed atop a flap. On the edge of each flap is a tab with an arrow as well as a clue to the riddle’s answer. In this case, readers see orange, webbed feet and a white body. Simply lifting the flap reveals the word “Penguins” and three penguins who appear to be waddling across the page, but pulling on the tab in the direction indicated by the arrow reveals a hidden gatefold with another penguin scene and a fun fact: “We penguins have feathers to keep us dry and warm!” In addition to the penguins, readers see giraffes, snakes, arctic foxes and leopards. The rhyming riddles are amusing but not easy; children will need help from the clue on the tab to guess the answers. The appealing illustrations feature frolicking animals and uncluttered, skillfully rendered landscapes.
Toddlers and young preschoolers, both independently and in groups, will enjoy both the guessing game and the simple, interesting animal facts this offering provides. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: June 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-545-46762-9
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet encouragement to play.
The newest title in the Baby Unplugged series by pediatrician Hutton (Book, 2012, etc.) takes a toddler-friendly approach to its examination of the properties and virtues of water.
In keeping with the author’s basic philosophy of encouraging active play and avoiding screen time before the age of 3, this title celebrates the rhythms of language while encouraging little ones to examine and explore the simple wonders of their world. Brief, rhyming verses, most of which scan well and read smoothly, convey a lot of information without coming across as too teacher-y or tedious: “Drop from clouds. Drip from sink. / Water to play. Water to drink. // Water is noisy. Water is quiet. / Water swirls and sprinkles—try it!” The computer-generated art creates a cheery, cartoon world filled with patterns, textures and children whose facial features are rendered with only black lines and circles. While the whimsical illustrations aren’t a perfect match for the text’s celebration of water—calling to mind as they do the plugged-in world of computers and television more than the wild world of nature—their joyful spirit is right on target.
A sweet encouragement to play. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-936669-20-2
Page Count: 14
Publisher: blue manatee press
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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