In this wordless board book, babies can explore everyday objects and scenes rendered in high-contrast black-and-white art.
On the left-hand page, three simple images, made from black hand-cut paper and set against white backgrounds, run down the middle of the page. Across the spread on the right-hand page, these objects are found in context. For example, in one double-page spread, a cat, a dog, and a turtle sit on verso; on recto, readers see the dog in a doghouse, the cat on a mat, and the turtle roving across the floor. While many of the images look simple and pitch-perfect for newborn eyesight, they are actually too small for little ones learning to focus. Some of the objects are very difficult to identify out of context, even for grown-ups, such as a ball, a baby swing, and a crib. The recto scenes are oddly cropped, poorly composed, and add little to the effort.
For a baby’s first foray into books, there are far better high-contrast titles than this offering, such as Phyllis Limbacher Tildes’ Baby Animals Spots & Stripes (2015) and Baby Animals Day & Night (2016). (Board book. 0-2)Pub Date: April 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-936669-44-8
Page Count: 14
Publisher: blue manatee press
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
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An abecedary of spooky or autumnal delights for the littlest readers.
Each letter of the alphabet is highlighted on a single page, the upper- and lowercase letters appearing in the upper left-hand corner, while the object is named at the bottom or in the upper right. Ho keeps her illustrations simple and places them against plain, brightly colored backgrounds, keeping them accessible to those still learning about Halloween’s many icons. The almost-fluorescent orange cover is sure to attract attention, and the palette of black, purple, orange, yellow, and radioactive green enhances the Halloween mood. But while many of the chosen items will be expected—bats, ghost, haunted house, owl, skeleton, vampire, witch, zombie—others are rather odd choices. J is for “jump,” not jack-o’-lantern (“pumpkin” is illustrated with a jack-o’-lantern); K is for a mostly black “kitten” standing in a coffin; and N is for “nightmare,” which is virtually impossible to express visually for this age group without provoking said nightmare. Here, a lavender-skinned child (zombie?) in pajamas and nightcap has arms raised and mouth open wide in surprise—perhaps in response to the mummy across the gutter? The tough letters use “quiver,” spider-decorated “underpants” on a monster, and “extra treats,” the x underlined.
While the ghoulies here are more cute than scary, “jump,” “quiver,” and “run” will probably get across the idea to even the youngest listeners that Halloween can be scary. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7636-9527-9
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Nosy Crow/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 7, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS
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A comical, fresh look at crayons and color
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Duncan wants to draw, but instead of crayons, he finds a stack of letters listing the crayons’ demands in this humorous tale.
Red is overworked, laboring even on holidays. Gray is exhausted from coloring expansive spaces (elephants, rhinos and whales). Black wants to be considered a color-in color, and Peach? He’s naked without his wrapper! This anthropomorphized lot amicably requests workplace changes in hand-lettered writing, explaining their work stoppage to a surprised Duncan. Some are tired, others underutilized, while a few want official titles. With a little creativity and a lot of color, Duncan saves the day. Jeffers delivers energetic and playful illustrations, done in pencil, paint and crayon. The drawings are loose and lively, and with few lines, he makes his characters effectively emote. Clever spreads, such as Duncan’s “white cat in the snow” perfectly capture the crayons’ conundrum, and photographic representations of both the letters and coloring pages offer another layer of texture, lending to the tale’s overall believability.
A comical, fresh look at crayons and color . (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: June 27, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-399-25537-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2013
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS
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