What this and its companion lack in clarity of concepts, they make up for in character.
An exploration of colors, shapes and animals.
On the left-hand side of the page, against a solid background of the shade in question, a white shape with three words in its interior names the attributes being described: “purple heart bug” or “red square owl.” On the facing pages are Jones’ winsome animal drawings in what looks to be a watercolor wash in a pale shade of the featured hue. Each animal forms the shape that has been named—some more successfully than others. The hedgehog “circle” is actually an oval, and the blue jay’s rectangular form is more than a little forced, but the frog cleverly conforms to the star’s shape, and the turtle makes a convincing semicircle. The companion title, Bunnies Near and Far, also focuses on multiple concepts at once; a warren of rabbits demonstrates opposites and counting up to 10. The bunnies are quite adorably fluffy as they go for a ride in a carrot-shaped car or attempt to play guitar collectively. While the opposites are clearly presented (near/far and up/down), the critters are shown as big, white heaps of fur, thus making them difficult to count. A faint, extra bunny appears on the last spread, bringing the number of rabbits up to 11, even though the rhyming verse instructs readers to count up to 10.
What this and its companion lack in clarity of concepts, they make up for in character. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-936669-21-9
Page Count: 14
Publisher: blue manatee press
Review Posted Online: April 29, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
An excellent, rounded effort from a creator who knows how to deliver.
The farmyard's chickens experience Halloween.
A round, full moon shines in the sky, and the chickens of Boynton's barnyard are feeling “nervous.” Pumpkins shine “with flickering eyes,” witches and wizards wander the pastures, and one chicken has seen “a mouse of enormous size.” It’s Halloween night, and readers will delight as the chickens huddle together and try to figure out what's going on. All ends well, of course, and in Boynton's trademark silly style. (It’s really quite remarkable how her ranks of white, yellow-beaked chickens evoke rows of candy corn.) At this point parents and children know what they're in for when they pick up a book by the prolific author, and she doesn't disappoint here. The chickens are silly, the pigs are cute, and the coloring and illustrations evoke a warmth that little ones wary of Halloween will appreciate. For children leery of the ghouls and goblins lurking in the holiday's iconography, this is a perfect antidote, emphasizing all the fun Halloween has to offer.
An excellent, rounded effort from a creator who knows how to deliver. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7611-9300-5
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.
This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.
Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
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