by Sarah Goodreau ; illustrated by Sarah Goodreau ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 24, 2018
This act needs a little more work.
A pop-up magic show featuring numbers one to 10…plus an extra.
One male “master magician” introduces two female “glamorous assistants” in midriff-bearing tops and harem pants (all three are white). The book goes on to reveal three balls, four flying doves, five scarves, six bunnies, and so on up, with help from large, sturdy flaps, pull tabs, and pop-up cutouts. Though not much for continuity (the woman’s hand flourishing “nine linking rings” emerges from a ruffled cuff, which neither “assistant” sports), Goodreau offers very simply drawn illustrations in which all the items are easy to see and count. Following the doves, bunnies, and assistants taking bows in a 3-D scene, a final view of a seemingly empty stage with a “0” and (oddly) “None” gives way with the flip of a flap to the magician expressing a hope that the audience enjoyed the show. Diapered digerati will applaud, at least on the first run-through—though they’ll more than likely be thrown off by the confusingly labeled and atypically placed zero. The fact that three of the assistants’ four hands appear to be attached backward in the climactic tableau will creep out their grown-ups.
This act needs a little more work. (Pop-up picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 24, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7636-9894-2
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Big Picture/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
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More by Laura Gehl
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by Laura Gehl ; illustrated by Sarah Goodreau
by Drew Daywalt ; illustrated by Oliver Jeffers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 13, 2024
A droll exploration of color and nature—and a welcome reminder to safeguard our planet.
Daywalt and Jeffers’ wildly popular Crayons have an important ecological message.
Though climate change is never mentioned, the book nevertheless gently introduces responsibility for Planet Earth. As in previous titles, the main text is in a large black font, while the Crayons’ dialogue is presented in a smaller, gray font. Blue begins by showing off a blue-tinged image of the globe (land masses are depicted in a darker hue). Green takes over: “Yay, Trees! I did those!” Beige breaks in, pointing to a tiny wheat plant next to two large trees: “And wheat! I did the WHEAT!” Beige puts wheat front and center throughout—even on White’s drawing of mountaintop ice caps. When Red, Yellow, and Orange display drawings of various fruits, Beige interjects, “And WHEAT. Wheat is totally fruit.” Diplomatic Purple politely responds, “Um. NO. It is not.” Purple attempts to dissuade self-important Beige, but it all ends happily as the Crayons join hands and proclaim: “Our planet has all of us too, in many shapes, colors, and sizes.” Beige and Purple reconcile, with Beige adding, “And it’s our job to keep the planet safe.” Young children will easily absorb this positive message. Although these characters have had many outings, their quiet humor still succeeds, and fans will definitely want this new entry.
A droll exploration of color and nature—and a welcome reminder to safeguard our planet. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593621080
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
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by Drew Daywalt ; illustrated by Alex Willmore
BOOK REVIEW
by Drew Daywalt ; illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
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by Drew Daywalt ; illustrated by Oliver Jeffers
by Kelly Starling Lyons ; illustrated by Luke Flowers ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2016
It’s a bit hard to dance, or count, to this beat.
Dinos that love to move and groove get children counting from one to 10—and perhaps moving to the beat.
Beginning with a solo bop by a female dino (she has eyelashes, doncha know), the dinosaur dance party begins. Each turn of the page adds another dino and a change in the dance genre: waltz, country line dancing, disco, limbo, square dancing, hip-hop, and swing. As the party would be incomplete without the moonwalk, the T. Rex does the honors…and once they are beyond their initial panic at his appearance, the onlookers cheer wildly. The repeated refrain on each spread allows for audience participation, though it doesn’t easily trip off the tongue: “They hear a swish. / What’s this? / One more? / One more dino on the floor.” Some of the prehistoric beasts are easily identifiable—pterodactyl, ankylosaurus, triceratops—but others will be known only to the dino-obsessed; none are identified, other than T-Rex. Packed spreads filled with psychedelically colored dinos sporting blocks of color, stripes, or polka dots (and infectious looks of joy) make identification even more difficult, to say nothing of counting them. Indeed, this fails as a counting primer: there are extra animals (and sometimes a grumpy T-Rex) in the backgrounds, and the next dino to join the party pokes its head into the frame on the page before. Besides all that, most kids won’t get the dance references.
It’s a bit hard to dance, or count, to this beat. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-8075-1598-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
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More by Kelly Starling Lyons
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by Kelly Starling Lyons ; illustrated by Niña Mata
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by Kelly Starling Lyons ; illustrated by Wayne Spencer
BOOK REVIEW
by Kelly Starling Lyons ; illustrated by Wayne Spencer
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