Fans should stick with the apps; others needn’t bother.
In a narrative spinoff of the Sago Mini app suite, five animal pals enlist the help of readers to keep their surprise-party preparations a secret from Jinja the cat.
Over the course of several double-page spreads, Jack the bunny makes snacks, Hugbot the robot puts together a party band, Robin (a bird) does “decoration duty,” etc., as Jinja almost spoils her surprise as she obviously walks in on each of these scenes across the recto. The text instructs readers to use fingers and hands to hide cupcakes, balloons, presents, and so on from the honoree. While the art is invitingly bright and jovial, some of the images may prove confusing to toddlers. Ice cream scoops are stacked on top of one another without cones, and Harvey the dog, who is “in charge of games,” seems to be engaged in some mysterious construction (turns out he was making a zip line), and is it is unclear what sort of critter purple Rosie is supposed to be (hamster? guinea pig?). Little hands may be hard-pressed to completely cover the images as instructed on the 8-inch-square pages. Tabs on the side of the book help readers jump to a scene with the desired character.
Fans should stick with the apps; others needn’t bother. (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0323-5
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Sizzle Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Despite the book’s treatment of relative size, it is a lovely Christmas tale focusing on the simple joys of the season; the...
A gnome works with three forest critters to gather some DIY Christmas ornaments.
Pip, a pale-skinned gnome, has an apple; a European robin provides “soft woollen thread”; a rabbit brings “golden straw”; and a mouse retrieves a rosehip from its mouse hole. Pip realizes that their pine tree needs one last thing and fetches a candle from his house. Kwant’s art is the star of this simple story. Rendered in what looks to be soft colored pencil or oil pastels, the scenes beautifully evoke the playful joy of decorating a tree. Pip is especially endearing, with his apple-doll face, Santa-red hat, and apple-green suit. Not knowing the average height of gnomes, toddlers may be confused by the scale of this book. The apple appears to be the size of a pumpkin, the tree is a hand taller than Pip, and the rabbit is only a head taller than the mouse.
Despite the book’s treatment of relative size, it is a lovely Christmas tale focusing on the simple joys of the season; the holiday’s commercial aspects are refreshingly absent. (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-78250-328-6
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Floris
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
A fun choice to promote dexterity and animal recognition.
Little fingers can slide three vertical panels to reveal the black-and-white images of common farm animals.
The simple text provides clues as to the identity of the critter in question: “I lay EGGS. / I like to eat CORN. I Say ‘CLUCK.’ / Who am I?” is printed on verso, while on recto, a hen is revealed after the panels are slid into place to complete the “puzzle.” Sajnani’s bold, chunky, and stylized images, which also include a pig, sheep, and cow, are endearing, and pops of yellow in the form of feathers, flowers, birds, and butterflies add interest. In a nice, literacy-boosting touch, the name of each animal is split over panels, so resolving the picture also resolves the word. Jungle, the companion title, sticks to the formula and features a monkey and a snake, among others, with smatterings of rain-forest–green bugs, butterflies, and leaves. The art is equally playful here, but the inclusion of a tiger and a parrot, so iconic in their bright colors, is odd given the black-and-white representation—literal toddlers might take exception. The sliders are a nice innovation, but little ones may require some adult assistance.
A fun choice to promote dexterity and animal recognition. (Board book. 2-3)Pub Date: Dec. 31, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-68297-049-2
Page Count: 8
Publisher: QEB Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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