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GOOD NIGHT PILLOW FIGHT

Name: GOOD NIGHT PILLOW FIGHT
Author: Sally Cook
ISBN: 0-06-205189-X

by Sally Cook & illustrated by Laura Cornell ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2004

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A boisterous romp through bedtime ensues as children resist going to sleep. Manic, apartment-dwelling kids—wilder than those of Cornell’s work with Jamie Lee Curtis—have an answer every time their parents try to coax them into bed: “Good night. / Pillow fight! / Kiss my cheek. / Hide and seek!” The brightly clad children explode off the pages as they holler and bounce upside down, their mouths sometimes taking up most of the page. Perhaps a story would do the trick? “Jack Sprat . . . / Not that! / Three Bears? / Who cares?” Some double pages show a clear view into all the apartment windows at once; on others, backgrounds disappear while the vibrant battle continues; two double spreads feature just forearms with fingers pointing. Cartoonishly exaggerated facial expressions and energetic rhymes forbid any hush-hush aura, but this may work perfectly for bedtime-resisters as well as group read-alouds. The end shows finally darkened windows but, delightfully, a child has the last (whispered) words. (Picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: May 1, 2004

ISBN: 0-06-205189-X

Page Count: 32

Publisher: HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2004

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
HEY BATTA BATTA SWING!
by Sally Cook & James Charlton & illustrated by Ross MacDonald

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YOUR BABY'S FIRST WORD WILL BE DADA

by Jimmy Fallon ; illustrated by Miguel Ordóñez ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 9, 2015

Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.

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A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.

A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.

Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: June 9, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
CON POLLO
by Jimmy Fallon & Jennifer Lopez ; illustrated by Andrea Campos

- SEEN & HEARD
Jimmy Fallon Christmas Book Coming This Fall

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I AM A BIG BROTHER

by Caroline Jayne Church ; illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 27, 2015

A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...

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A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.

Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.

A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)