What better way for things-that-go enthusiasts to expand their repertoire? (Informational board book. 3-6)
A handsome introduction to a variety of oceangoing watercraft for preschool readers.
With clear and uncluttered illustrations, 15 watercraft in all are presented: a sailboat, a cargo ship, a fishing boat, an aircraft carrier, a ferry, a submarine, a clipper, an oil tanker, a diving boat, a car-carrier ship, a research vessel, a police boat, and a cruise ship. Each two-page spread presents the boat in question, with its name and some information about it. As a bonus, each vessel also displays a signal flag with an accompanying explanation on the message the flag conveys. The mixed-media artwork has a clean, modern graphic sensibility that is very attractive. The book will likely appeal to a wide age range, with the youngest delighting in naming and identifying, moving on to older children, who will be interested in the information provided; those who have already started to identify letters and understand the rudiments of written communication will be fascinated by yet another coding system in the shape of signal flags. The sturdy board-book format will come in handy, as it will likely be looked at over and over again.
What better way for things-that-go enthusiasts to expand their repertoire? (Informational board book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 25, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7148-7671-9
Page Count: 30
Publisher: Phaidon
Review Posted Online: June 10, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
The pieces are certain to end up scattered far and wide, but in the meantime, they do offer practice matching flora, fauna,...
Forty-five magnetized items stored in a sturdy pocket can be used to fill up six nautical scenes.
The spreads—introducing the shore, beaches, coral reefs, the open ocean, and harbors—are lightly populated already but have been left with plenty of space to add any of the cartoon sea life, boats, water toys, and human workers or vacationers (all generally diverse of age and skin hue) that may fit or seem appropriate. The “Choking Hazard” warning should be taken seriously, particularly as some pieces are barely the size of a fingertip. These pieces will stay in place (absent sudden jars or rough treatment) as pages are raised or turned, and they can also be used to decorate any flat magnetized surface, although even the sailboats and other larger bits are not strong enough to use separately as fridge magnets. A final “Around the Ocean” spread acts as a key of sorts, identifying such nouns as “parrot fish,” “trawler,” and “snack” as well as such activities as “catch crabs” and “float.” It is so scattershot that readers and users may find themselves wondering how they were chosen for identification and not, for instance, “sea gull,” “buoy,” or “jellyfish.”
The pieces are certain to end up scattered far and wide, but in the meantime, they do offer practice matching flora, fauna, and general sights to various oceanic settings and shores. (Novelty. 3-5)Pub Date: Aug. 7, 2018
ISBN: 979-1-02760-429-6
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Twirl/Chronicle
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
The big machines may initially draw readers, but kids will leave with a solid foundation about the immensity of large-scale...
Follow along as machines construct a skyscraper, from the ground all the way up, up, up!
In her punchy trademark one-verb-per-page style, Hurley starts off with a demolition followed by the numerous steps of building an enormous new skyscraper. Watch the excavator “dig” the foundation, the flatbed truck “haul” the beams for a crane to “raise,” and more, all the way through to the finishing touches of windows and paving. Near the last page, a change from landscape to portrait orientation finally treats readers to a complete view of the towering finished product. Occasionally, scale is difficult to ascertain in the illustrations, making it hard to perceive the building’s upward progression, though changing seasons nicely underscore that completing a project this large is a lengthy process. On each page, a new construction vehicle lumbers in, ranging from the familiar (bulldozer) to the lesser known (pile driver). The closing glossary identifying the equipment and its function will help readers connect the verbs to the machines’ tasks. The flat, digitally rendered construction vehicles, depicted in comparatively bright primary colors, stand out distinctively against the matte, mostly gray background, though the imposing vehicles feel more static than dynamic.
The big machines may initially draw readers, but kids will leave with a solid foundation about the immensity of large-scale construction. (Informational picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7001-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2018
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