Bunny hunts for an Easter egg as young readers wag her tail.
When readers pull the large, smoothly moving tab on the right edge of the book, a mechanism inside moves the rabbit’s puffball tail, covered in white felt, that protrudes over the top of the pages. The back cover extends higher than the front and internal pages to protect the tail—and little fingers—as it moves. Bunny finds three eggs, one on each double-page spread, but they belong to a butterfly, a duckling, and a robin, respectively. (The butterfly’s and the duckling’s eggs are brightly painted Easter eggs; the robin’s are its clutch of bright blue eggs in a nest.) The sound that each animal makes is written on the bottom right corner of the previous recto, providing a clue as to who will be appearing on the next page. (“Flap! Flap!” goes the butterfly; “Chirp! Chirp!” goes the robin.) Bunny becomes more and more despondent, with her ears sinking lower on the page. A trio of bees finally brings Bunny her egg, tied up with a yellow bow. While the cartoons are relatively static, using thick, black lines awash in bright colors, Yoon succeeds in showing Bunny’s feelings with deft changes in eye and mouth placement.
A pleasant, if one-note, bit of fun, the perfect size for a toddler’s Easter basket. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-4344-0
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS
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Pookie and family celebrate Thanksgiving.
Boynton’s precocious little pig is back in this holiday installment. The family gets ready for Thanksgiving by baking pies, welcoming Nemmy and Boppa for dinner, and sharing gratitude (and pie!). Boynton’s familiar rhyming text and simple, thick-lined illustrations are exactly what readers have come to expect from this series: Pookie is a little silly, the story bounces along, and the artwork is warm and cozy. Though most of the action takes place inside, the passage of day is clear through the window, from daylight to the setting sun. Decorations and a tree with just a few leaves on it indicate the autumnal season. There are two pages where numbers are called out, presented differently from the rest of the typeface (Pookie and their parents prepare apple pie and one pumpkin pie, and there will be five guests at dinner). The only bolded digits are one and five, even though the text does mention that there will be a total of two pies—a stylistic choice that seems to point readers to counting practice but that feels a bit random. Overall, though, this is a worthy new story about one of Boynton’s most beloved characters. True to form, it’s a toddler-friendly read, providing context for the festivities and a sweet representation of gratitude. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Exactly what readers want and expect from the board-book master. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66592-263-0
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Boynton Bookworks
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
Categories: CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS
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This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.
Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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