The book’s heart is in the right place, but its execution serves neither subject nor audience even adequately.
Rhyming text introduces youngsters to a smattering of whales.
Unfortunately, it’s not particularly good rhyme, nor are the whales introduced with enough context to make the information meaningful to a toddler audience. “I might be a gray whale with barnacles on my chin / Or a sleek, slender fin whale. Think how fast I’d swim.” To these bloodless rhymes are paired equally anemic watercolor illustrations. The nature of whale coloration and their marine habitat combine for spreads that are dominated by grays and pale blues, the lack of contrast making for a singularly uncompelling visual experience. Weeds and other sea life add some mild pops of color, but they are so watery they don’t make much of an impression. In addition to the aforementioned gray and fin whales, Gill packs an impressive number of whale species in: minke, beluga, pilot, blue, beaked, orca, humpback, and—“Narwhals have tusks. Tusks might come in handy. / Right whales sail with their tails. Wouldn’t that be dandy?” Ouch.
The book’s heart is in the right place, but its execution serves neither subject nor audience even adequately. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Feb. 21, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-63217-104-7
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Little Bigfoot/Sasquatch
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.
One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.
It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-553-51233-5
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Robin Corey/Random
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
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BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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