From “apricot” to “zomp,” an introduction for little ones to little-known Pantone colors.
The first two introductory double-page spreads remind readers about the “colors you may already know,” such as red, orange, yellow, blue, green, and purple. The following 13 spreads present a bevy of additional hues, each beginning with a subsequent letter of the alphabet. On the G and H pages, “goldenrod” and “honeydew” are paired, and readers see a passenger with brown skin being driven by a white driver in a goldenrod taxi with a honeydew stripe. While many of these new shades are enticing and make for intriguing combinations (such as the “onyx” and “persimmon” match-up that’s depicted by a black cat sporting rosy-orange features and accessories), others seem to point to names of colors found only in clothing catalogs (“quartz” for gray, “daffodil” for yellow, and “razzmatazz” for, presumably, raspberry). Arrhenius’ art is playful and includes bold, graphically striking designs of various animals and people with endearing faces. The final pages review the alphabet and the colors depicted in the subsequent spreads.
For readers who can get past the head-scratching color names (would anyone guess that “xanadu” is actually greenish gray?), it’s a fun, new take on the color concept book. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-63322-336-3
Page Count: 38
Publisher: Walter Foster Jr.
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
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A cheerful brown bunny hiding behind the edges of an Easter basket looks just as surprised as young children will be to find the chicks revealed as each egg “hatches.”
With help from a reading partner, young children are encouraged to count down the eggs as they disappear with each page turn. Alternatively, they can count up as the chicks are revealed. A simple phrase at the top of each right-hand page states the number of eggs in the basket. The line at the bottom (half of a rhyming couplet) tells how many chicks readers should look for. The numbers are spelled out, requiring young children to recognize the word instead of the more familiar numeral. On the left-hand page, the spaces previously occupied by an egg begin to fill with meadow plants and critters, eventually becoming a scene as busy and cheerful as a greeting card. This book begs to be touched. Each egg is made of shaped plastic that protrudes through die-cut holes on the verso; they can be pressed but seem to be securely anchored. The pastel chicks are lightly flocked, providing an additional tactile experience. Although the pages are thicker than paper, young fingers may find the holes a convenient way to grip (and possibly tear) the pages.
There is always room in the Easter basket for a counting book, and many readers may appreciate having another simple, nonreligious holiday book. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-74730-1
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS
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BOOK REVIEW
The latest addition to the World of Eric Carle is proof that the Wilder Award–winning picture-book creator knows what appeals to children.
This board book is both developmentally appropriate and aesthetically pleasing—perfect for toddlers. In a sturdy, oversize (10 1/2 inches square) format, Carle recycles iconic images from his vast canon to introduce shapes, colors, numbers, animals, and sounds. The flower on the cover is almost (but not quite) identical to the flower that grows from The Tiny Seed (1970). Seeing the animals throughout the pages is like recognizing old friends. But Carle and the book’s designer, Hannah Frece, put these familiar images to fresh uses to create a logical, accessible, and harmonious concept book. Although billed as a “busy book,” it is not hyperactive, using just five or six images per spread. From the mirror that lights up the sun on the cover to the touch-and-feel inserts on the page about animals to the single flap that hides a mouse from a cat, the tactile elements have been chosen with intention instead of just as gimmicks. On other pages, foils and textures are subtle, with many barely raised images that invite tracing.
A satisfying package that will indeed keep toddlers busy—exemplary. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5791-0
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
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